


Escape with Chris Evans

by captainofherheart



Category: Chris Evans - Fandom, chris evans fanfic
Genre: Angst, Boston, Celebrity Crush, Contest, Escape with Chris Evans, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Mild Language, Omaze, Original Characters - Freeform, Smut, chris evans - Freeform, chris evans fanfic - Freeform, prudential center
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2018-10-31 06:17:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 236,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10893456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainofherheart/pseuds/captainofherheart
Summary: Summary: You're the winner of the charity contest, Escape with Chris Evans. When sparks fly during the event you both quickly realize that a single day together in Boston just isn't enough, and your adventure together is just beginning.The story chronicles the relationship between an average woman and a movie star.  How they build a relationship that’s both a deep friendship and romantic.  How they navigate the time apart, the insecurities they each face and the past demons they need to overcome.  The passion that comes when you’ve met the person you’re supposed to be with, and the struggles that come when fame gets in the way of it.  There’s a lot of fluff, a lot of laughter, a lot of smut, and a lot of heart.  This story and all the associated separate stories containing the characters are written in second person pov.





	1. They Meet

**Author's Note:**

> Story originally posted and Wattpad (some chapters here are longer ones there that have been broken up). Both sites are up to the same place. There are several "mini Escapes" published on both sites, each marked with that title. If you like the music mentioned you can hear it all on my spotify channel. In case the link below doesn't work, just search for user "feathersfromdad" and the playlist called "Always" https://open.spotify.com/user/feathersfromdad/playlist/0BtxzDsKRtSEHSaPr72jrq

Meeting Chris Evans was never something you considered a possibility, yet here you were. A $25 donation to a great cause had made you the lucky winner of his Escape Room contest. The grand prize was playing the game with Chris, followed by dinner, and an overnight stay in Boston. You decided to bring your brother and his 2 children since they were all big Marvel fans, and you were very close to your family. Your niece had been praying you would win ever since you told her about the contest. Outwardly, she was the fan girl who was totally freaking out right now. On the inside, you were going more nervous than she was.

You were never one for superhero movies until you watched “The Winter Soldier.” The action, drama, and gorgeous leading man had you hooked. The more movies and interviews you watched featuring Chris Evans, the deeper in love you fell with this beautiful meatball. A few months ago you found some fanfic online and came across Tumblr. You happily joined in; it was nice to be part of a community of people who shared the same fun and passion as you did for Marvel and it’s actors.

Now the big day was here, and it was time to meet the man who had caught your eye and reeled you in with each smile he flashed.  Boston was a beautiful city, and you and your family had milled around the Common before heading to the Escape Room; letting the kids run around the playground for a bit, stopping by the fountain, posing for pictures by Frog Pond.  The walking had helped with your nerves, but you found yourself checking the time repeatedly, anxious for 1 pm to get here. It was a beautiful day, and you hoped that everything would go well with Chris. Your brother eventually suggested that everyone start walking towards the Escape Room to make sure you were on time, and within a few minutes, your family entered the building.  The event coordinator spotted you and came over to greet everyone. 

"Hi, you must be Nicole Fraiser,"  she said warmly, offering handshakes and highfives to the kids.  "Welcome to Escape Games! I'm Amanda. We'll be starting in just a little while. If you follow me, I’ll bring show you to the lounge."   Your party was brought to an area where drinks, sandwiches and snacks were set up. They also had array of classic games like Clue (how appropriate), Connect 4 and Uno.

"Please make yourselves comfortable and enjoy some lunch. Nicole, when you're ready I need to steal you away for a bit to meet Chris and take some publicity photos. I'll come back to get everyone once we're ready to begin. Do you need a few minutes before we head over?"  

"Nope. Ready as I'll ever be," you replied, trying to keep the shakiness out of your voice..  Your nerves were frayed at this point, and you really didn't think you could eat anything, anyway.  The kids had immediately made a beeline for the games and quickly set up Connect 4. Looking at them centered you, and you exchanged big tight grins with your niece, and a wink and chin jut from your nephew. Your brother touched your elbow and leaned into you whispering, "Don't let him know you're a dork," earning him a slap on the arm in return. He knew getting you to laugh was the quickest way to calm you down.

While following Amanda down the long hallway the butterflies in your stomach were in a frenzy. Your fists were anxiously clenching and unclenching as you walked past several doors that led to different themed rooms. In your head you were preparing yourself, knowing there was no reason to be so nervous. He was just a person like everyone else.  But it wasn’t just anyone else, it was Chris fuckin’ Evans. You prayed you wouldn't faint or throw up. 

Entering the back office, your eyes scanned the room for him while your hand pushed a lock of hair behind your ear. He was standing with his back to you in conversation with a small group of people. Amanda walked over and tapped his shoulder to let him know you had arrived. 

When he turned and you got your first good look at him you blew out the breath you’d been holding, whispering "ho-lee shit" under it. You swallowed hard as you watched him stride across the room towards you like only Chris could. Did he do this crap on purpose or was he just that naturally sexy? Who the hell walks like that?

He reached you, and you introduced yourself, offered a hand for him to to shake.  He accepted it, returning a firm handshake before wrapping his left arm around you to pull you in one of his famous full contact bear hugs.

Ever have those moments in your life where everything seems to go in slow motion? A few seconds can feel like minutes? You tried to take in every detail your mind would allow. The hard muscles of his chest and arms against you, the softness of his blue henley against your face. The soft scent of cologne as you inhaled slightly by his neck. The top 2 buttons of his shirt were undone and you got a peak of the sexy clavicle tattoo.

"Congratulations, Nicole! I'm so excited to do this with you and your guests today. We're gonna have a blast!" he said after he pulled away, a huge goofy grin on his face. 

You were still in a bit of shock and found yourself biting down on your lower lip to keep from grinning like The Joker. Finally finding your voice you managed to stammer out a quick, "Thank you. It's great to be here."  There was no looking directly at him, it would have been like looking into the sun. You didn't know how it was possible but he was even more handsome in person. 

Your eyes kept darting around and Chris caught the nervous, slightly confused look that came across your face. Smiling at you, he chuckled lightly and asked, "Is everything alright?"

Damn you and your glass face! You couldn't hide your emotions at all! Everything you felt came across all the time. You could feel your cheeks burning as, with a shy smile, you answered, "Yeah I'm fine. It’s just...I'm having a hard time controlling my inner fangirl right now. I promise I'll get it under control in a minute. I just wasn't prepared for...this," you said, waving your hand around his face.

Chris laughed and folded his arms across his chest, biceps bulging and threatening the fabric of his shirt. He gave you a questioning look with his playful eyes. 

"You weren't prepared for what exactly?"

You motioned towards him again and said, "For this! In my head I prepared myself to meet bearded Chris Evans. I wasn't prepared for Steve Rogers."

How could you have forgotten that Infinity Wars had started filming? Of course he would be clean shaven, at peak form for the start of the movie. You were seeing your dream version of Chris up close and personal. It was enough to make your ovaries explode. He was perfection personified. Taking a deep breath you willed yourself to calm down and focus. 

Chris gave you that adorable smirk and said, "I'm still Chris, and trust me, you will have a much better time with me than you would with Steve."

You looked at him with your eyebrow raised and a smirk of your own. Suddenly, he straightened his spine and brought his shoulders back. He appeared a foot taller than a moment ago as he looked down at you with a serious, almost smoldering, expression.

"If you were doing this with Steve Rogers, he would be dead serious about the mission. Focusing on every detail to make sure it was successful. He would be methodical and no fun at all." He then relaxed his body and his face softened. 

"With Chris, the focus will be fun first. I'm competitive so I do want us to beat the room, but win or lose, it won't matter as long as we have a great time."

The tension you felt lessened and you began to relax. Chris putting on the Captain persona and then being himself really showed how different they were from each other. However, Chris didn't know you had a serious kink for the Cap. That little exhibit sent your heart racing and your mind off to Fantasyland.

Smiling up at him you replied, "Alright, point taken, Steve and Chris are completely different." Not one to be out smart-assed you added, "Plus, you don't wear a size ‘smedium’ like Steve. Trust me, I'm not complaining, but seriously....who shops for that guy?"

Caught off guard, Chris turned a shade of red and shook his head a bit with a self-deprecating smile. He was biting his bottom lip, a little embarrassed. You had to look away, he was just too adorable right now. Your eyes flitted around the room that was bustling with people here for the event.

"This is surreal, I still can't believe I'm here." You looked up to meet his eyes and felt a sense of calmness flow through you. God, those lashes were unreal!

"Where are you from? I can tell from your accent it's not Boston."  You gave a little giggle and said "Noooo, not Bahston. I'm not too far away though. I'm from Long Island."

He caught your jab at his local accent and played along. "LonG EYEland," he said, emphasizing the G and I, the way a lot of people said it.  Wait, did you sound like that to him?

"Hey!" you said in mock insult and you elbowed him in the stomach. He jumped back a bit giving a giggle of his own. 

"I'm just teasing," he said.  "I've been there a few times with friends. It's beautiful. The lighthouse and some of the beaches. I've even been to a couple of the wineries, too."

"Well, if you ever want a personal tour from a native," you said, motioning to yourself with your index finger, "I know a lot of great non-touristy spots where you won't be bothered. Plus, we got waaay better pizza and bagels. The cannoli’s from the pastry shops kickass-"

"Wait a second, just wait! You actually think that New York has better pizza and cannolis than Boston?" he asked incredulously. 

You looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Yeah, I do, actually!" 

Chris pointed a finger at you to emphasize his words, "That's it. We're going out later for pizza and dessert. I'll have you eating your words and begging for more before the night is through!" 

Oh, what you wouldn’t do to be begging for more with him.  Focus, Nicole.

You quirked a brow at him and gave a quick shrug, "Hmph, we'll see."  Turning your face away so he wouldn’t see the smile trying to break through, you looked around the room and took in all the groups of people and different conversations going on. You could feel him staring at you and peeked out of the corner of your eye. Chris was looking at you with a tight lipped, crooked smile. 

"Yeah.  We’ll see, feisty," he said in a low voice. The smile you were trying to suppress could no longer be held back and you laughed as you looked back at him and saw the playfully disapproving face.  

Amanda came back to say they were ready for photos. Stashing your small purse on a nearby chair, you joined Chris and the owners of the Escape room. The first rounds of photos were for their website and promotions. They started with some shots of just Chris, then brought you over to join. A lot of photos had him posed with an arm around you. You could actually melt into him, it all felt so good. Strange, but once you relaxed there was a comfort level with him like you had know each other for years. It just felt natural.  You doubted he felt the same way.

The next setup was for Omaze. They wanted some fun, goofy shots to put on their website. Chris tickled your side before one of the pics and you jumped, almost ruining the shot. You blushed and apologized, while he threw his head back laughing, grabbing his chest. 

Making Chris laugh and do the famous left boob grab had been a secret personal mission and it felt wonderful to have accomplished it.  Unfortunately, by this point he realized just how easily he could get you to blush, and that became his not so secret mission. He would whisper a stupid word right before a photo was taken to get you to crack up, or poke you in various spots.

Between setups you decided to play dirty and put a musical worm in his ear. 

"You know, every time I saw the tagline 'Escape with Chris Evans', I would immediately hear the song ‘Escape’. You know it right?”  You did a little dance, singing “If you like Pina Coladas, and gettin caught in the rain....” 

You turned away with an evil grin. Sure enough, a minute later you heard him humming the tune. Your eyebrows were raised above an innocent look when he realized what you did. 

“Aw c’mon dude!” He looked down, shaking his head with a boyish grin, realizing you just evened the score.

The last set of photos were for Christopher's Haven. You were honored to meet a family that was currently staying there, and some members of the organization. You loved children and just the thought of ever being put in that situation ripped your heart out.

Chris knelt down to get eye level with the young boy and told him how brave he was, how proud of him everybody felt, and what a great soldier he was. You couldn't hold back the tears that pricked your eyes. It was such a sweet, genuine moment and you loved him all the more for it. Chris posed separately with the family and Omaze people, then you joined in for a few shots.

The family said their goodbyes and received some big hugs from Chris. Meanwhile, George, from the Haven, asked to have a word with you. 

"Ms. Frasier, I'm told you gave up the airline tickets that were part of the package and asked for the money to be put towards the charity?"

"Yes. We're only a few hours away by car. You have such a wonderful charity, I was happy Omaze agreed to the option. I felt the money could be put to much better use than our flights."

"That was very generous of you, and very much appreciated. We're small but we're hoping the publicity we receive, thanks to Chris and other friends of the charity, will allow us to grow and help many more families."

"What you offer is amazing. No one should have to go through cancer with their child, but you make it so much easier to deal with."

George shook your hand and thanked you again. He then reached for Chris and you realized that he had been standing behind you, listening to your conversation. Chris looked at you with a softened gaze and a warm, approving smile.

"What?" you asked him before looking away again. Why did you suddenly feel so shy? You brought your gaze back and he was still smiling at you, a little wider.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary. Why are you smiling at me like that?" Unnerved, you shook your head to help rid yourself of the sudden heat flooding your cheeks.

"I didn't know about the plane tickets. That was really thoughtful of you. Makes me even happier that you won. You deserve it.”

Now your cheeks were on fire and the air seemed to electrify between you. Chris noticed you turn a shade redder and his smile got even wider with just a hint of mischief. He was about to say something when the moment was interrupted by Amanda.

"Alright you two, the photos came out great and we can move on to the game soon. Nicole, I'll go collect your family and bring them back here, okay?"  You checked your phone for the time and saw it was already 2:45. Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Putting your phone back in your pocket, you looked back at Chris. "The kids are so excited to meet you!" 

Chris looked at you with a furrowed brow, a small frown on his face. "The kids, are they yours?" he asked. You caught him glance quickly at your left hand then back up to your face.

"Nooo!" your eyebrows raising & hand waving dismissively. "No, they’re my brother's kids. I love kids, but..." giving a small resigned sigh while looking away, "Still single."

"What made you bring them instead of friends?" Chris asked curiously, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well, they're fans, but I couldn't imagine anyone else appreciating this experience as much as they would. It’ll be a memory that lasts forever. They're my world.”  You rolled your eyes and threw your hands up in surrender, “Plus, it also kinda makes me the coolest Aunt ever!" you joked pulling your arm back and saying, “Yes!”

The expression on Chris’ face was one of respect and warm approval as he barked out a laugh. He gave a quick nod, closing his eyes for a second, "I understand completely, trust me," he replied with a smile that made him even more unbelievably handsome.

You felt that spark, that little electricity between you building up once more. 

"You're doing it again," you said pointing at him. 

He cocked his head to the side quickly, playing the game, "Doing what?"

Waving your index finger, you motioned towards his face. "That smiling thing!" There was no keeping a straight face, you had to look away. "You're killin me, Smalls!" 

You heard him laugh at the movie line and hazarded a look back at him. Yep, still smiling, the son of a bitch!

What was taking them so long to come back? Your nerves were beginning to act up again with this big meatball smiling at you.  There was only way to calm them. Hello Sarcasm, my old friend.

"I hope the kids don't geek out on you too much. Although, you of all people understand how it feels to fanboy. I've seen videos of you with Tom Brady."

Chris stopped smiling, his whole body tensed up. His hands balled into fists at his side, eyes shut tightly and enunciating every word slowly, "I. Do. Not. Fanboy. Over. Tom. Brady."

You practically guffawed. Replying back with both your neck and finger wagging, "I have YouTube my dear, there are videos of you all over it in the locker room mooning over the guy. I can only imagine your reaction the first time you met him."

He relaxed, shaking his head and muttering, "Unreal." 

Reaching up, you cradled his right cheek in your hand. Looking him in the eyes with a mixture of compassion and humor, your thumb lightly brushing over his cheekbone you said, "It's okay Chris, we all have our crushes."

What the fuck did you just do that for? Or more to the point, _ how _ the fuck did you just have the cajones to do that?! Whichever it was, he seemed more than okay with it as his face returned to his annoying megawatt movie star smile.

"Oh, for Christ's sake," you said, throwing your hands up in the air with a small laugh.  "You better watch out or your face may freeze like that buddy." 

He shrugged his shoulders and gave his hands a little wave near his chest. His face did that adorable double eyebrow lift and he smile changed to a self satisfied smirk. This man could be the death of you.

You could hear footsteps approaching as Amanda was entering the room with your brother and the children. All of a sudden you felt like you’d just won the lottery, this as Chris stepped closer to you and put his left arm around your shoulder. He lowered his head and you tilted your ear up to him as he said soft and deep, "You better get used to my smile sweetheart. I get the feeling I'll be doing a lot of it today."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Music plays heavily throughout this story. For this chapter the song Escape by Rupert Holmes is mentioned and sung by the characters.


	2. Fun and Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fun and games begin as Chris, Nicole and her family tackle the Escape Room

Chris Evans just called you sweetheart!!

You could still feel the warmth of his breath by your ear as he straightened to greet your guests.  
You kept your head down, attempting to get your crimson face under control. 

Screw it! If you couldn't fight it then you would just own it. Your family was approaching as you blew out a big breath, raising your head and displaying the shit eating grin you could no longer hold back.

"Hi," you managed to croak out, before apparently forgetting how to speak. What the hell was wrong with you? The momentary brain fog lifted as you saw your brother give a quick head shake and mouth "dweeb" to you, a teasing twinkle in his eyes. 

Looking at your family and seeing their excited faces confirmed you made the right choice.

"Chris, I'd like you meet my big brother, Ryan, he’s a professional pain in the ass.”  The men were just about to exchange handshakes when you said this and, caught off guard, stopped the handshake and went straight into a laugh filled hug instead. 

Proud of yourself for the joke, you continued your introductions.  “This is his son, Alex, who is a Lego master builder. Last, but certainly not least, is his daughter Maddie, lover of music and all things Emoji.” 

Chris shook hands and then hugged the kids.  When he got to your niece, he complimented her, saying that they chose a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. If spontaneous combustion were possible it would have happened that instant. You had a feeling all the posters in this 7 year old's room were getting replaced with a certain super soldier.

Your nephew was 10 and quite the chatterbox. Chris didn't know the Pandora's box he opened when he asked if Alex was a Marvel fan. You smiled sheepishly as he launched questions at Chris about making the movies, the co-stars, the stunts, hypothetical questions about Steve and Tony's relationship, and more technical questions that you were surprised he was coming up with.  Chris was a trooper though, answering everything as best he could. Years of press junkets had trained him very well, and he seemed to enjoy talking to Alex.

Stepping away from the interrogation, you headed to the snack table for a quick bite. It had been hours since you had last eaten and you needed to take the edge off. Your brother and niece came over to grab some bottled water as you took bites of a chicken caesar wrap. Maddie held you by the waist, hugging you tightly.

"What took you guys so long?" you asked your brother, returning your niece's hug. 

"The kids were told once they got in the room there would be no bathroom breaks. They panicked and ran." He then added with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "From what I saw when I walked in, I doubt you really minded the delay."

You blushed and caught them up on what happened so far. Your brother was protective and you knew he would be watching the dynamic between you and Chris like a hawk. Your niece was an observant little girl and she was the one that pointed out how Chris kept looking over at you while he spoke with Alex.

Amanda came back to give a 10 minute warning. You all gathered and answered Chris' questions about the rest of your family. When asked, Ryan explained that his wife had wanted to come, but had an obligation she couldn't get out of.

"That's a real shame, I would have loved the chance to meet her," Chris replied. Looking at the kids conspiratorially he added, "Maybe when we're out to dinner you can facetime her and I'll give her a little surprise?" The kids beamed at the idea. You were struck by how thoughtful he was, knowing what it would mean to them. Amanda came to walk you all towards your adventure.

Chris came up behind you and gave your shoulders a quick squeeze, then asked, "Are you ready, hon?" 

Looking over your shoulder you quipped, "Baby, I was born ready," before flashing him a grin as you all walked into the room.

After everyone was in the room and had begun looking around, the door slammed shut loudly, and the lights dimmed to almost complete darkness. You felt like an idiot as you gave a sharp yelp in surprise. Your right hand flew to your chest and you felt fingers enveloping your left. The lighting adjusted and you realized it was Chris who was holding your hand. This day just kept getting better and better.

"Are you gonna be alright, Nikki?" he asked, in a tone that was both concerned and amused.

"Yeah, all good. Just caught off guard," you replied a tad embarrassed. 

His casual use of "Nikki" didn't escape you. He was still looking around but you saw his shoulder shake gently as he made an amused sound deep in his throat.

Chris was lightly rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand, instinctively trying to soothe you. You felt a quick shiver run through your body. His hand tightened around yours and he led you deeper into the room towards a small monitor. Here the clue master would give guidance and hints if you got stuck. The goal was to decipher a series of 10 puzzles and cryptic messages in 60 minutes to beat the room and find the key to escape.

The room was awesome! It was called "The Cave" and it had an Indiana Jones vibe complete with hieroglyphics painted onto the stone walls and torches for light. Chris was bouncing with excitement like a kid at Christmas and his enthusiasm was contagious.  The kids were chattering away, pointing around the room and hatching ideas. 

Making your way around the room, it was discovered there were objects that needed to be kept on hand for later clues. You volunteered to be the inventory person and held onto anything that could be of use. The initial 2 clues were beat without too much trouble and everyone's confidence grew.

You were scanning a section of the wall when Chris sidled up next to you. He put his arm on the wall above your head, drawing your attention, and said, "Of all the caves in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

Giving him a sweet yet sarcastic smile in return you replied, "Get a clue Bogart", then pointing around the room drawled, "Like seriously, go look." 

Unabashed, he slowly retreated saying softly, "Alright, I know when I'm not wanted." 

Sure, that was it. Thank God it was dark so he didn't see the glow on your face.

He came around to pester you again when he saw you getting flustered with a combination lock. 

"Do you like my shirt Nic?" he inquired, while posing in front of you.

You glanced up for just a moment, "Yeah it's really nice, Chris," you rattled off, lost in concentration on the lock in your hand and getting pissed off by the second that you couldn't crack the code.

"Know what's it's made out of?" he asked innocently.

What the hell? Is he freaking serious right now? You were still annoyed with the lock or you would have known where this was going. Giving a frustrated sigh, you replied, "No Chris, what is it made out of?" 

He dropped down to the floor, getting on eye level with you, and said, "Boyfriend material." How he was able to keep a straight face, you have no idea.

The lock stopped being your sole focus as laughter took hold. "You fucking meatball! You're gonna quote your own damn movie lines to me?" 

Realizing he had been caught, he remarked, "I kinda hoped you hadn't seen that one.... or most of them for that matter." 

You spun the box that you were ready to take a sledgehammer to and pushed it over to him. "Here smartass, see what you can do with this." You took a break and watched him crack the code without too much trouble. 

"Jesus, is there anything you can't do well?" shaking your head in disbelief. Standing up, he reached for your hand to help you to your feet. 

"How much time have you got?" he answered modestly. 

The two of you went back by the others, Chris' arm wrapped around your waist. By the time you reached the fifth clue they were becoming more difficult and it was time to get serious. For you, this meant getting the ever present hair elastic from your pocket and putting your long hair up in a ponytail. Game on bitches.

Feeling saucy, you decided it was time for payback. With a slow hip swaying walk over to Chris you said, "Sooo, what's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?" What you didn't expect was for him to get the better of you again.

Instead of a reply, he put on a dead sexy face and slowly looked you up and down with a raised eyebrow. "I know what I'd like to be doing," he said in a deep voice. 

Ice cubes could have melted on your skin.  You had to get away, and quickly. You backed away and pointed left, sputtering, "I...I'll just be...around..." and got the hell out of there as fast as you could. Peeking over once you were safely away you saw Chris' shoulders shaking with laughter as he rummaged through a box. Bastard, you were no match for him.

The room wasn't linear and it required a lot of running back and forth. Chris discovered a secret passage through a wall. Being a man-child he of course had to hide there for a moment until Maddie passed, scaring the wits out of the poor girl. He also seemed incapable of walking past you without giving your ponytail a quick tug. This was usually followed by your exclamation of "Hey!" countered by his response of, "Can't help it, it's soo cute!" Not that you truly minded the attention.

Once you made it past the seventh clue the gang was on a roll. Seeing the timer counting down made every second unnerving. Communication was key. If you were all strangers it could have been a lot more difficult, but being family was like having shorthand. Thankfully Chris fit right in, never missing a beat. There was a steady stream of laughter, along with some frustration, but everyone was having fun.

Passing Chris as he was working with Ryan, you brought a clean tissue out of your purse. You tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me sir, but does this smell like chloroform to you?" The joke earned you one of his full body laughs, and a double pec grab. Being the cause of that reaction was priceless.

Throughout the game you were watchful in case anyone needed one of your props (and hey. it gave you an excuse to ogle Chris, so bonus!). It also allowed you to truly appreciate the way he worked with the kids. He had such a natural way with them. It warmed your heart. These were the only kids in the family and you treasured them.

With about 12 minutes to go only 2 clues remained. You were searching for one when you saw Chris walk over to your brother. "Your kids are awesome dude!" he said with a genuine smile. 

Ryan beamed, displaying that he was a proud father. You moved a little closer, hoping to eavesdrop. "Thanks man. I find a little bribery goes a long way." Chris laughed and Ryan leaned into to him conspiratorially. "Don't let Alex fool you though, little shit's Team Iron Man."

Chris spun around to face Alex and in a deep booming voice pointed to the boy saying, "You! Team Iron Man, really?" Turning he asked, "What about you Mads?"

She didn't even have to answer. The huge adoring grin on her face and hearts in her eyes said it all. He gave her a smile that could melt butter, then teased, “Well now it's official. Maddie's my favorite!" 

Your nephew cried out, "Hey, not fair!" and your niece squealed with delight.

While working on the last clue, you heard Chris give a triumphant cheer.  Then as he ran to you guys with an exuberant smile on his face, he proudly showed the key in his hand. Everyone exited the room with just one minute and twenty seconds left to spare. High fives and victory dances were abundant in the hallway.

A victory photo was taken. You held a giant skeleton key, which was fitting since you were the "prop girl." Ryan's sign read: "THEY WOULD HAVE LOST WITHOUT ME." Maddie got one that said: "GENIUS FOR HIRE." Alex got a chalkboard with your team's time on it. As if custom made for him, Chris proudly got to hold a sign that said: "NAILED IT!" Afterwards, he excused himself, obliging the staff for a few selfies and autographs, then rejoined your family, with the conversation turning to dinner. 

"I'm supposed to take you guys to a local place, probably within walking distance..." Chris began to say.

You cut in teasing him, "Maybe we should stick to burgers. Bahston can't screw those up too bad, right?"

He took the bait. Putting his left hand on his hip, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his right and gave his head a shake. "Cah-mon!" he said exasperated. He muttered something to himself you couldn't quite catch and then looked at you asking, "Do you have a car close by?"

"Yeah," you replied cautiously, a little confused but going with it. 

"Good", he continued, now smiling, "What I was gonna say before being so RUDELY interrupted, is that I'm expected to take you somewhere within walking distance. But since you drove, and I made a promise to feed you the best pizza in Bahston, we're going for a little ride."

"Where to?" you asked hesitantly, curiosity getting the best of you.

"Sudbury, my hometown. I'm taking you to my family's favorite Italian place. It's about a 40 minute ride this time of the day. Is that okay with everyone?" he asked looking around at each face.

"Are you sure Chris? I really was only joking, we don't want to impose. Something local would be fine..." you continued stammering, feeling awkward. You didn't know if he was making the offer because it was what he truly wanted, or if it was because he was trying to make a point.

"I'm sure you have other things to do tonight..." you added in an attempt to give him an out, but this time he was the one to interrupt.

Taking hold of your hands he insisted, "It would make me very happy to spend my evening with you. With all of you," he quickly corrected looking around at everyone. 

You exchanged a brief glance with Ryan and seeing him nod, agreed. "We would love to! Thank you."

"So where did you park" Chris asked. 

"At the end of the block, the parking garage over on Westland," you replied. 

"Perfect, I'm in same one." 

You gathered your things and pulled your keys from your purse. Chris grabbed them from you.  
"You have a Cap shield key ring?" 

A little embarrassed, you ducked your head quickly before looking up saying, "Yep, Team Cap all the way!" 

He looked around with a smug smile on his closed lips, finally saying, "I was hopeful," before returning your keys.

Chris put on a baseball cap and sunglasses to disguise himself before exiting through a back door. You walked together towards the parking garage, getting the info for the restaurant along the way. He was parked on level 4, and you were on the ground floor, so you parted ways at the elevator.

Once in the car and out of the actor's earshot, you slapped your steering wheel and screamed out, "OH MY GOD!! That just happened! We just spent the afternoon with Chris Freakin' Evans!!!" You gave yourself a few seconds to float around the cloud you were on. Ryan and the kids laughed at your sudden outburst, and Maddie excitedly whooped it up with you. The boys just looked at each other, shaking their heads and saying “Women” in unison. 

Entering the address into your GPS, Ryan chided, "Correction, Nic. We are now spending the evening with Evans, so get your shit together and keep an eye out for his car. He should be passing behind us any second."

"Alright, alright you daydream bustin' bastid!" 

You put your car in reverse so Chris would see where you were. Shortly after, the white Lexus passed behind you. You backed your SUV out and began to follow him. The kids were talking loudly from the back seat, recounting every minute of the adventure like you hadn't all been there together. You, on the other hand, gave yourself permission to daydream again. You were also giving yourself a reality check. He's a shameless flirt, you've read about it countless times. Don't take this too seriously, but make sure you enjoy every damn second!

It took a little while to get out of the city with all the traffic lights. Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" came on the radio and as family tradition required, the entire car sang along at full volume with air guitar and facial expressions. This had been going on since the kids were tiny, starting as a way to annoy them (gotta get payback somehow), and was now just a fun family joke.

You forgot all about Chris being ahead of you until a red light allowed him to turn in his seat and look back at your car. Apparently he had been watching your "show" through the rearview mirror. He pointed your way then mouthed bravo while doing a big slow clap with his hands. You should have been mortified, but you're mood was too good. Instead you waived your right hand like a Queen and gave a brief bow of your head in thanks. He turned forward to start driving, still laughing.

During the rest of the ride the kids busied themselves playing on their tablets, each wearing headphones. It gave you and Ryan some privacy and time to talk.

"So I saw some interesting things in that escape room. You guys were hysterical to watch, by the way. I didn't know that many shades of red-face were even possible." 

You showed him yet another example right then and there as your glared at him. 

"Alright, sorry, no more teasing. I promise. What I really wanted to tell you is about the way he was looking at you, and how almost every time he stopped, it ended with a little smile on his face." 

Unable to help himself he added, "I also caught you checking him out several times, you naughty girl." You glared at him again. “Sorry, couldn't  resist, my bad, my bad." 

You didn't quite know what to do with the information and the conundrum must have showed on your face. 

"All I'm saying is, I'm a guy. I know that look. He likes you, Nicole. I think going to this restaurant tonight is more than just him trying to prove Boston has the best pizza. I think he really wanted to do something special,” then adding thoughtfully, "And maybe spend some extra time with you." 

Sometimes your brother could be your biggest cheerleader, when he wasn't just being a big jerk.

You let the words sink in for a few moments then met your brothers eyes, still doubtful.

"I'm not kidding you, doofpot. Just giving you my opinion, which you gotta admit is usually right." He just couldn't help himself could he? 

The rest of the ride was held in comfortable silence. Music playing and everyone lost in their thoughts. And speaking of thoughts, well, you had many.  Was anything more than just playful flirtation on Chris’ part? 

The restaurant was family friendly and casual. Upon entering, Chris and the owner greeted each other warmly by name, asking after each other's families. Your group was introduced to Angelo, who Chris had apparently called from the road, just to make sure there would be no waiting upon arrival. You were brought to a table in the back that had some privacy. The round tables were set with big sheets of white butcher paper and crayons were provided for drawing. You sat opposite Chris, who was flanked by a child on either side.

The waiter came and you put in your drink orders, then Chris and Maddie quickly put the crayons to use, and began drawing Avengers characters. When he lamented that he couldn't make good detail with the crayons, Maddie dug around in her emoji drawstring knapsack and happily pulled out a multi color pen. You took a few seconds to look around and center yourself, absorbing everything. 

"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls playing on the radio. Maddie and Chris engrossed in their own little world drawing. The boys playfully bickering over who was cheating at tic tac toe. You didn't want it to end.

Your drinks arrived and meal orders were placed. True to his word, he was gonna make you taste the pizza. He insisted the best was the Deeper Dish pie with pepperoni and you all agreed to try it. Chris asked for a few meatball subs to split that were supposed to be "the bomb" and some appetizers. The waiter left and Chris and Maddie resumed their drawing. He actually had some talent, which was something you never knew about him.

Wearing a blue Henley and baseball cap, with a beer in his hand, you were reminded of the bar scene from the “Nanny Diaries” (minus the kids of course). You couldn't pinpoint exactly when you noticed he had stopped drawing and began looking at you. His eyes were affectionate and a soft smile was on his lips.

The noise of the restaurant faded to the background and was replaced by the sound of your heart beating. This was one of those moments that would burn itself into your memory for the rest of your life, recalled down to the tiniest detail.

You returned and maintained his gaze with a gentle smile of your own, and that was when it hit you. This wasn't a movie. This was real life...and the Harvard Hottie had his sexy eyes fixed on you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Music always plays a role in this story. For this chapter the songs "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey and "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls are mentioned.


	3. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner after the Escape Game brings some surprising turn of events

Time seemed to freeze as if Elsa herself had floated her blonde ass across the room, but your mind was going warp speed. There was no "Letting Go," you could finally take a good look at Chris without having to hide it and there was no way in hell you were going to waste the chance.

 

Your eyes ghosted over his face, taking in every perfect imperfection. The cute little mole on his left cheek, the crooked bump halfway down his nose. The way his lower lip was so much plumper than the thinner cupid's bow of his upper lip; almost like a bee had stung it (or he had been kissing for hours). A smattering of freckles (you loved that cute little one on his earlobe the most). The lines in his forehead, no doubt brought on by years of his boisterous laughter.  But those eyes! Sweet baby Jesus, those eyes! The lashes were so thick they didn't even bend. And hey, whaddya know? That line in Civil War was true. There really was a hint of green in those deep blue eyes.

 

How long can you look at someone before you cross the line into stalker-town? 

 

Maybe it was time to stop. 

 

Any day now, Nicole. 

 

Damn woman, have you even blinked?

 

Hypnotic mother fucker wasn’t he?

 

Your inner musings were broken by a slap on the arm from Ryan who excused himself and Alex to go use the restroom. Rubbing your arm, you shot each other annoyed and teasing looks only siblings could understand, having an entire conversation non-verbally. Looking back across the table you noticed that at some point during your trip to la-la land Chris and Maddie had moved on from drawing the Avengers to drawing animals. 

 

"Cute doggies!" you said looking over the table at their works of art.

 

Chris proudly replied,  "You like it? This is Dodger, he’s my best buddy."

 

"He’s adorable! I've seen pictures of him, he was your helper in the push up video, right?"  You were trying to hide just how much you actually knew about him. 

 

"Helper? Yeah, that's one word for him. He's the best though. I found him in a shelter when I was filming a movie. I ended up adopting him that same day.  Best decision ever." 

 

Deciding to take advantage of the now vacant seat, you got up and sat next to Chris.  Looking through the colors, you picked up a blue crayon. 

 

"He's missing a little something," you said while drawing a little blue cape on the dog. "Every superhero needs a super dog."

 

"Aww, Dodger the wonder pup! Nice!" 

 

Looking over at your niece you noticed she wasn’t really coloring anymore and she was rubbing her eyes a bit.  It had been a really long day for everyone.  You decided to bend the "tech free table" rule and offered her your phone to keep her busy and awake. She perked up as you handed over the device.  If you were being honest it wasn’t completely for her benefit, you knew full well you also just bought yourself some one on one time with Chris.

 

"So you said this place is a family favorite. Do they live near here?" you asked, ripping off a piece of garlic knot from the basket on the table.

 

"Yeah, for the most part. My mom and my sisters, Carly and Shanna, all live within 30 minutes of here. My brother Scott's an actor, so he stays in LA most of the time. I can't handle being away from here for too long, so I bought myself a house close by."

 

"What about your dad?" you asked, hoping it wasn't a sore subject. He spoke often of his mom, Lisa, in interviews, but not of his dad. 

 

"My parents split when I was in my late teens. He remarried, started another family. They're within an hour or so from here." Chris answered, becoming a little sullen.

 

Wanting to see him smile again so you brought up a sure fire topic. "I gotta admit, I saw your interview on Fallon, the one with your niece and Dodger..." 

 

It worked, his face immediately lit up. 

 

"Oh my god, wasn't that the best? My niece Stella can't be on the floor without Dodger thinking she's his bed. He's like twice the size of her! Look, I have a video I took yesterday, she's starting to get wise to him now."  He sounded a like a proud father, you couldn’t help but smile as you watched him open his phone open and pull up his camera app. 

 

Chris showed you the new video with a gigantic smile on his face, and you both ended up laughing at his niece’s reactions to the dog.  

 

"Stella is a beauty!" you noted and he soaked in the complement like it was his own kid, so proud of her.

 

"Thank you," he answered, still looking adoringly at the little girl on his phone.

 

"What about the ‘like it’ nephew?" you inquired, purposely saying the phrase wrong hoping to get Chris to correct you. 

 

"You mean Miles, and it's 'I don't wike it!', I got him on a video the other day too, let me find it..."

 

Score! You got your wish, and it was so cute to hear him say it in person, "I don't wike it" like a little kid. God, you were smitten.

 

"Look, look, here it is.... he doesn't wike anything I sweah! His brother Ethan was the total opposite, so easy going."

 

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who's obsessed with their nieces and nephews. I don't know what I did with my time before them."

 

Ryan and Alex returned. You were hoping to remain where you were, but Alex stood next to your chair, clearing his throat loudly to let you know he wanted next to Captain America again. Reluctantly, you got up and moved back across the table, but you took some crayons with you to do some doodling of your own.

 

You started drawing the first thing that came to you mind. For some reason this was a rocket ship and some planets. Probably because you were over the moon happy right now.

 

"Do you have any pets, Nicole?" Chris asked with interest.

 

"No. My apartment complex won't let me have a dog and I'm afraid if I get a cat I'll add another, and another, and become the crazy cat lady," you said with a shake of your head at the image. "My parents have a dog so I get my fill when I go over there. He's a cute little muppet faced Pekingese. Besides, I like to do a lot of little trips, wouldn't be fair to a pet," you said, justifying it for yourself as much as for him.

 

"What like road trips or something?" Chris was looking at you with that hint of a smile again that made your face warm up.

 

"Yeah, sometimes I'll go for a drive by myself, spend the day doing whatever I like. It is a looong island I live on after all," you answered, finding yourself smiling back at him. "I'll hit the beach, go for drives on windy roads that go into quaint little towns with shops. My friends and I like to do little weekend trips into the surrounding states. I go to the movies a lot too. Have you seen the superhero movies that are out lately? Some of them are really good!" you added cheekily.

 

"Yeah, I've heard that about some of them," he played along with a tight grin. "At least the one with that guy from Boston..

 

"Oh, you mean Ben Affleck? The Batman movie was so much better than..."

 

"No, no no...I meant the other a-hole from Boston, what's his name... Chris something"

 

"Pratt? Pine?" you asked innocently

 

"No, I think it's Evans. Thinks he can act or something..."

 

"As if! Sebastian Stan totally carries the scenes for him. Heard he has an ego the size of Texas too..."

 

"Shut up! I heard that about him too, real D-I-C-K!" he spelled, remembering children were at the table.

 

"We can spell you know, we're not babies!" quipped my nephew, breaking up the back and forth.

 

The boys started talking movies and sports and you let them do some male bonding while you did a little more drawing. You were suddenly overcome with negative thoughts. Why would you think Chris' smiles were anything more than friendly? What did he think of you? Was the flirting just par for the course with any girl? What makes you think you're special or deserving of his affection?

 

You were just an average girl that he met a few hours ago. A paralegal, not a starlet. You knew who he had dated before and you were certainly no Minka Kelly or Jessica Biel, not by a long shot. You were an average sized woman in your 30's, on the taller side, a little curvy through the hips. You considered yourself pretty, and had been called beautiful before (even by people other than your father, thank you), but you were...just Nicole. You wondered how much of what you read in his face was real, and how much was a reflection of what you so desperately wished you saw there.

 

You inner whipping was broken by his voice saying your name as a question. You had stopped drawing your rockets and were instead staring off into space, elbows on the table, chewing at your left thumb.

 

"Nicole? Earth to Nikki? You okay?" You heard Chris say, concern coming into his voice now. How long had you been zoned out?

 

You looked up at him, then quickly around the table, a little embarrassed when you saw them all staring at you. "Y-yeah, just um, just got lost in my thoughts for a sec. Sorry guys," you apologized, trying to sound light hearted but failing miserably. 

 

Ryan caught your eye, wordlessly checking in with you. You returned his nod with a brief closed lipped smile of reassurance. Chris looked concerned and seemed like he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it. He still had the crayon in his hand and you saw he had been absent mindedly doodling the whole time. Wait, was that a little heart?

 

Even at her young age your niece was shrewd, and no longer being the sole recipient of her new crush's attention did not sit well with her. Taking advantage of the quiet, Maddie made her move, "Hey Chris, did you know we have the same birthday?"

 

"Really? Wow, I gotta tell ya, you look really good for our age!" Chris replied in all seriousness, nodding his head impressed.

 

Maddie face palmed herself, "Not the same year silly! I'm not old like  _ you _ ," she accused, making Chris suck in the corner of his lip in an attempt to not laugh at her. "We have the same day, June 13. I'll be 8 this year."

 

"8 years old huh? You're getting pretty grown up. Got a boyfriend? Doing something special to celebrate?"

 

Poor Chris, so out of his league, so completely unaware of it. You were rapt watching the interaction, knowing what he just stepped into. You were also inwardly blessing her for lifting the mood of the table. All eyes were on her since even the boys new a good show when they saw one coming.

 

"My daddy says I can't date until I'm 30. But I'm having my party at the Bouncy Palace this year. If I don't tell them you're my date I bet they'll let you come! It's the Saturday after our birthday. Can you come, please???!!!"

 

You could almost see the gears spinning in Chris' head before they came to a crashing halt, replaced by a look to you filled with sheer desperation in his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to say no to her and crush her feelings, but he also couldn't say yes and give her false hope. He took a long sip of his beer, waiting for you to rescue him. You could have saved him immediately, but what fun would that be?

 

Taking a sip of your soda you nodded, "She's right, it really is a pretty cool place Chris. I went with her mom to book it. Their inflatables are meant for adults to use too. There's even an obstacle course! Climbing wall, basketball bouncers..." 

 

The more you talked the more desperate his face became. He had expected a quick "Sorry honey, but we can't ask Chris," and instead got a sales pitch. You broke out into a grin, the image of Chris getting chased by a dozen 8 years old over an obstacle course was hilarious. God, you'd give anything to see that! He was turning a dangerous shade of red, time to come to the rescue.

 

The appetizers arrived giving a quick reprieve. Biting into a mozzarella stick, and using it as a pointer, you broke the bad news.

 

"Maddie, It's so sweet of you to invite Chris for your party, I'm sure he would love to be there. But I think he'll be away filming the new Avenger's movie in June, right Chris?" you said while turning to him and nodding your head as a signal to go with it.

 

Visibly relieved and falling back into his chair, he gestured with his right hand, palm flying all over as he gave his best puppy eyes at Maddie. "Right! That's right sweetheart. Thank you soo much for the invite, truly. If I was anywhere nearby I would have jumped at the chance, I mean, it's not every day my best girl turns 8."

 

The explanations seemed to appease her, she was nodding to Chris, clearly thrilled at hearing she was his best girl (Aunt Nikki who?), but like you said, she's shrewd.

 

"It's ok Chris, I understand." She suddenly lit up like a switch got flipped. “Tomorrow is Aunt Nicole's birthday! We're staying an extra day to celebrate. Can you come with us tomorrow, pretty pretty pleeeaassee?!"

 

Mortified, you immediately scolded her yelling "Madison!" It was one thing to invite Chris to an event several weeks away that he could easily turn down. It's quite another to put him on the spot like this.

 

"Ignore her Chris,” you said tightly while shooting her a side eyed glare, “She usually has much better manners than this."

 

"Is tomorrow really your birthday Nicole? he asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the table, hands steepled and chin resting atop them. 

 

Here comes the nerves train again, right on schedule. "Yes, she's telling the truth. We paid for an extra night at the hotel and we're spending tomorrow sightseeing. Ryan wanted to repay me for bringing them to the contest."

 

"What were you thinking about doing?" he asked with a contemplative look on his face, taking another sip of his beer. You noticed he had started picking off the label while he spoke.

 

Now you were the one feeling oddly on the spot. "Well, um, we had talked about the New England Aquarium.  I love penguins and they have these little blue ones that I never even knew existed!" you said with genuine excitement, automatically cupping your hands as if holding one.  

"I don't think it's a very large aquarium, but we haven't set any other concrete plans yet."

 

"They have IMAX 3D movies with Great White Sharks and Humpback Whales. It's gonna be sick!" Alex spewed out, talking a mile a minute.

 

Remembering that you had an actual Bostonian at the table you asked,  "Other than the aquarium, are there any must see's that you can think of? Something we would regret not doing if we have time?"

 

Sitting back into the chair again, Chris started hand talking, "Well, there's a few things I can think of off the top of my head. But if you wouldn't mind some company, I'd rather show you than tell you," he said with an expectant face, an evil eyebrow arched while watching your face for a response.

 

Your disbelieving mind didn't register his offer at first.  It was hard to think straight when you were hypnotized by that damn arch.  "I'm sorry, what?"

 

Chris sat forward, leaning on the table again, an affectionate smile on his face. "I said, would you like me to be your birthday guide around the city tomorrow? It’s the least I can do since you offered to be my guide on Long Island," he added, popping a toasted ravioli into his mouth.

 

Odd. You didn't remember falling asleep, but you must be dreaming, right? There was no way Chris Evans was asking to spend your birthday with you in Boston, as a personal guide. That was the shit of a delusional mind or the beginning of a really good dream. 

 

You woke up when you noticed Chris' fingers snapping in front of your face, "Earth to Nikki, you there? Where the hell do you keep going?" He asked with a laugh, apparently amused by the space cadet across from him.

 

"Oh, yeah, um, tomorrow. Tomorrow we're staying in Boston."

 

Chris' face was a mixture of a suppressed laugh and genuine curiosity as to where this was heading, "So I've heard, and do you want me ...."

 

Finally waking up, your words sped up, "To show us around Boston…? Yes! Yes! I would love that! Are you sure though? It's a Sunday, there'll be a lot of people around. Is it gonna be hard for you to move amongst us mere mortals?"

 

He finally barked out the laugh he had been holding back.  "Mere mortals? You know I'm Chris Evans, not Hemsworth right? Now there...there's a God," he said with an exaggerated fangirl reaction. 

 

"Don't get me started on Hemsworth. If I had to make a free pass list he would be on it in a heartbeat. Is there anything that man can't be perfect at? Did you see his trick shot video?" 

 

Adding his two cents, you heard Ryan say, "Hemsworth is on my wife's list, and I'll admit it, maybe on mine too. Along with Scarlet. They are both verrrrry pretty."

 

Laughing now, Chris hung his head down replying, "I hear ya!  If I'm honest he'd probably make my list too. Those eyes, those biceps!" batting his eyelashes while cupping his hands under his chin.

 

Alex knew the talk at the table was turning adult and wanted info. "What's a free pass list, Dad?"

 

Without skipping a beat Ryan answered, "It's a list of celebrities who you would let drive your car. Everyone has a few we would let drive us around hard and fast if they wanted to. They get a free pass to do whatever they want with the car."

 

You had to hide you un-poker face behind your hand and look away, pretending to read something across the room. The way your brother was saying this was a mix of straight talk to his son, and thickly laid sarcasm for the adults. Thankfully Chris had his acting skills to fall on, but even he was having a hard time maintaining a straight face. 

 

When Alex started a follow up question, Chris jumped in, redirecting everyone's attention to the waiter who was coming over with the steaming pizza and subs. He refilled everyone's drinks orders and we dove into the feast. You saw Chris ask him a question and a few minutes later he came by with a small square of fresh drawing paper.

 

Not allowing Alex a chance to start up again, Chris got back to planning your birthday.

 

"So, getting back to tomorrow. I know how to blend in, and Boston's kinda like New York City. People are so busy looking around that they don't celebrity stalk. We should be alright, as long as you're good with it. I don't mean to push myself on you (no please Chris, push away, push it real good), if you think it'll be too much with fans or whatever, then I can just give you some ideas."

 

You put your hand up, stopping him, "Having you join us tomorrow will honestly make it one of the best birthdays ever. I never expected to see you past today."

 

"Neither did I, but I'm getting excited about it. Making a list in my head as we speak. You leaving Monday?"

 

"Yeah, we're all taking off from work and school Monday, back to reality come Tuesday."

 

"Alright, I'll come up with some ideas we can do along with the aquarium and run them past you tomorrow."

 

Everyone was boisterously eating their food, Maddie and Alex were loving their pizza, Ryan was devouring his sub. Chris gave us a few bites before goading,  "So see, what did I tell ya? Bettah than New York pizza right?"

 

With a mouthful of cheese you gave him a nod while holding up your index finger. Swallowing, you answered, "Doesn't suck,” then took another bite.

 

He wiggled his middle finger at you as he held onto his half of a sub. You chewed your food, looking at each other with eyes crinkled in smiles.

 

"Cah-mon, this is the freakin best pizza around! I'll have you know they even delivered it to New York for me one morning on a talk show and everyone there said it was the greatest evah!"

 

Feigning shock you jokingly responded, "And you know tv show hosts NEVER lie to their celebrity guests." You sat back, putting your hands up in the air like you were framing a tv, and doing your best impression of Sophia from the Golden Girls.  "Picture it. Boston, May 2017. A girl from Long Island admits the pizza is pretty freakin' awesome! A match for her favorite from back home."

 

Earning another boob grab (yeah!) Chris smiled broadly, "Next time I'm in the area you'll have to take me, then we'll know who really wins."

 

Was he kidding? If you ever saw him again after this weekend you would be a winner no matter what, but you knew that's not what he meant. You nodded in agreement to his challenge, fingers crossed under the table that you would have the chance.

 

"Alright Chris, question time, what's your favorite movie?"

 

"I'll tell ya, but ya gotta promise not to laugh," he warned.

 

"Scouts honor," you said, holding up a few fingers.

 

"You were a scout?" he asked, sounding leery.

 

"Nope!" you replied quickly, earning a chuckle.

 

"Fine, I'll tell you anyway. I gotta say., it’s Legends of the Fall. It's such a beautiful movie. I wanted to be Brad Pitt so bad," he confessed, batting those long lashes.

 

You and Ryan chuckled, but didn't laugh. The kids had never seen it, but you promised Maddie to let her watch it when she got a little older. No girl should be deprived of seeing Brad Pitt in his 90's perfection.

 

You countered, "That was a beautiful, if not sad, movie. I'd probably go for Shawshank Redemption, can't be on tv without me watching it. Oh, and Return to Me! Have you seen it? Old fashioned love story, and I love the music from it."   

 

You started singing your favorite song from the movie, "What if I loved you, and I gave it my all? What if I told you, you're all I've waited for?" 

 

Much to your surprise, Chris joined in the singing, bringing big goofy smiles to both your faces as you sang together, "What if I held you tonight, and I made you feel oh so right? What if I loved you, would you always be mine?"

 

"Yeah, that's what I'm talkin about!" he exclaimed, holding his hand out to you over the table for a high-five. "The part when she swaps the bottled water for the tap water, it was epic!"

 

Ryan added Bourne Identity and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to the mix, making everyone laugh because of the way he said the name. Alex replied with "Anything Star Wars", and Maddie went for a recent favorite, Moana.

 

With dinner eaten and everyone stuffed, you declined dessert. 

 

"One more bite and I'll explode!" you said rubbing your belly. 

 

Ryan chimed in his line, "After dinner mint? Wafer thin?" 

 

Chris listened to the exchange, nodding quickly as he realized why this sounded so familiar. "Monty Python?" he asked with a chuckle.

 

In unison you and your brother nodded, stating, "Family tradition, movie quotes can make up entire conversations in our family." 

 

Chris joined you guys in several others from Animal House, Holy Grail, Christmas Story, and many others. The adults were laughing, but you noticed the kids getting a little glass eyed.

 

"Hey, do you guys want to facetime your mom while we have Chris here? Remember he offered to surprise her?" you asked the kids.

 

That woke them up from their food stupor. Ryan texted her to make sure she was decent, then set up the call.

 

"Hi my babies, I missed you! Did you have an awesome time today? How was Chris Evans? Was he nice? Did you win?" You laughed, maybe she could get some answers if she took a breath.

 

"It was ah-mazing mommy! We won, and Chris was so funny and so sweet!" gushed Maddie. 

 

Alex chimed in, "It was the coolest mom! We got to do a room that looked like a cave and there were all these puzzles to figure out. Maddie has the biggest crush on Chris now, and she wants to marry him." 

 

What was it with big brothers and teasing! You gave him a flick to the head with your thumb and middle finger as a caution to knock it off. "Sorry Mads, sorry Mom. He really was so cool and nice. Wish you could have come with us."

 

"Me too," she said with a sigh, "I'm sure you guys wouldn't mind splitting weekends with me and your dad if I ended up marrying Chris right?" she teased.

 

"MOOOMM!" the kids groaned at her, embarrassed, especially because Chris was right next to them, but out of frame and laughing his ass off.

 

"Who's there? I hear someone laughing but it doesn't sound like Dad."  

 

With that, Ryan got into the frame to say hi and tease his wife back. 

 

"Oh, Dad’s here alright. I see how it is now.  You spend your day hosting someone's bridal shower and planning your own divorce at the same time. Tell you what, hold on a sec, "Hey buddy, let me introduce you to my future ex-wife. Come over and meet Sarah."

 

You heard her exclaim "Holy shit!" when Chris got into her view. The kids were ecstatic, pleased with themselves for not spilling the beans. He was charming on the call, ridiculously handsome and so sweet. His momma did right by this one. How were you going to get through tomorrow with your sanity intact?

 

"You have a wonderful family, Sarah. I had such a great time with them today. Wish you could have made it with them. I don't think they got to tell you, but I'm spending the day with them tomorrow. Gonna take them on a personal tour of Boston for Nikki's birthday."  He looked as excited as a school boy talking about a field trip.

 

"Really? Is that part of the contest? I thought it was only supposed to be the escape room and dinner."

 

"It was, but we decided on tomorrow during dinner. I'm free, and I truly am enjoying the heck out of this family. Can't think of a bettah way to spend a Sunday. Well, anyway, it was nice to meet you, at least by phone. I'll put the kids back on to finish up. Have a great night, Sarah."

 

She said her goodbyes to Chris and then finished up with the kids, giving them warnings to be on their best behavior, being ending the call.

 

"Too bad the Red Sox aren't playing a home game tomorrow, then I could have taken you to a real baseball game,” Chris remarked with a smile, making a playful jab at the NY teams. 

 

"Don't bother, we're Mets fans, not Yankees. You're not getting a rise out of us for that. Good try though," you countered. Chris laughed and put his hands up, signaling he gave up.

 

"One of the duck boat tours may not be a bad idea. It's a good way to see the highlights all around the city in a short time. I think it launches right from the aquarium," Chris offered.

 

"Sounds good, but what the hell is a duck tour?" you asked, intrigued.

 

"The city salvaged a bunch of WW2 landing vehicles. Like the kind that brought the soldiers to Normandy beach. They can travel on land or water, hence ‘duck’ boat. You travel through the city with the driver giving you facts about important landmarks. The kids will love that they get to ‘quack’ at pedestrians from the boat."

 

"Sounds perfect!" you said, getting more excited by the minute. The kids seemed excited by the prospect of being able to quack at people, more so than the actual boat tour.

 

Chris looked pleased, "Let me have your number, I'll text you in the morning so we can firm up details. We can meet at your hotel.  Where are you staying?"

 

Umm, yeah, you were totally going to wake up any second now. Chris just asked for your number and offered to meet at your hotel. Add a few more lines (horizontal and vertical) and you had one of your tumblr posts. Remembering how to swallow so you could answer, you agreed and gave him the info.

 

Check paid, the five of you walked out to your cars. The kids attacked Chris, each hugging him tightly, one on each side of him. He stretched his arms around them, giving them extra tight hugs. They let go and he and Alex came up with a "secret" handshake on the spot to say goodnight before one last hug. He ended Maddie's hug with a big kiss on the top of her head. The girl was never going to wash her hair again. They got in the car and buckled up, getting their tablets out and settling in for the ride back to the city. 

 

Ryan and Chris exchanged thank you's and hugs as well (your family was full of huggers just like the Evan's clan). Chris walked you around to the driver's side.

 

"I can't thank you enough for making today so special for us. Winning this contest was awesome enough, but you turned an already special day into an extraordinary one." You grabbed him to you and gave him a tight hug, planting a kiss on his right cheek. You could not have written a more perfect day, and still couldn't believe that tomorrow you would be seeing him again.

 

When you started pulling away Chris tightened the hug, his thick arms keeping you locked into him. You stayed like that for a minute, swaying slightly, before he finally released you, putting a soft kiss onto your cheek this time. 

 

"The pleasure's all mine. Life can surprise you in a good way sometimes." Looking over at the car filled with your family then back to you he added, "I wouldn't have done this for just anyone. You Frasier's are special, I never thought I'd enjoy this day as much as I did. See you in the morning Nicole. Drive safe."

 

He gave you one last kiss, this time in the middle of your forehead, his left hand on the back of your neck, before releasing you fully and opening your car door. Once you were in, he closed it for you, gave a wave to your family and then headed for his car.

 

You barely remembered the drive back to your hotel. Your mind was too busy trying to catalogue every moment of today's events, grateful that no one was looking to talk.

 

You had brought your old ipod shuffle for the trip, 4000+ songs for the long road trip. It was doing that thing where it picked up songs like it was reading your mind. When “Best Day of My Life” and “Escape” came on, you laughed, because yeah, it was a pretty damn good day.  

 

Every song that came on had a line that would make you smile to yourself as it brought back a memory. 

 

“Mine Would Be You” by Blake Shelton made you remember some of the moments of electricity you felt today, how alive you felt flirting with Chris during the game. 

 

_ Baby if I had to choose, my best day ever, my finest hour, my wildest wish come true, mine would be you _ …

 

“Possession” by Sarah McLachlan set you off on a daydream, maybe what could have happened if you had been alone in the parking lot....

 

_ Kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away... _

 

You sang along to “Lay Low” by Blake Shelton, remembering the feel of being in Chris' arms outside of the car, how handsome he looked today. 

 

_ I wanna run my fingers over every single inch of you, take my time, taking it slow... _

 

Looking around at your passengers, you saw that the kids had conked out on the drive back. Your brother was busy on his phone, catching up on social media and candy crush. When you reached the hotel, Ryan spoke his first words to you since leaving the restaurant. 

 

Simply saying, "By the way, told ya so," with a wink as you guys got out and started rousing the kids.

 

Your body was finally starting to realize it had been on the go since 6 am. You took a long hot shower and got into the bed you were sharing with your niece for the weekend. You grabbed your phone to set the alarm and realized you had a missed text from a number your didn't recognize.

 

**555 867-53** 09 : So I'm sitting here thinking of what I would want to see in Boston if I only had one day and my list is getting outrageously long! Hope you get some sleep tonight, you're gonna need it!!! ~ c

 

**Nicole** **:** Oh really?! Sounds like you’re threatening me with a good time Evans. This is Chris right?

 

**555 867-5309** : Of course, who else you seeing in Boston? Btw, it's not a threat, it's a promise! Is 9:30ish ok?

 

**Nicole** **:** Sounds perfect, looking forward to it =)

 

**555 867-5309** : So am I. sweet dreams...Captain's orders!

 

**Nicole** : LOL!  Yes Captain.

 

Not sure how you would ever fall asleep, the day’s anxiety, anticipation, and sheer exhaustion finally won, and you fell like a stone into dreamland.

 

A wonderful fantasyland, with many visions of a man who was both a dumb, bearded sweater wearing dork and an old fashioned superhero....oh yes captain...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Music plays an important role during this entire story. For the chapter the songs inspiring it and mentioned are:
> 
> The title “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” is a song by Billy Joel who is from Long Island just like Nicole
> 
> What If I Loved You by Joey Gian was my inspiration for the feel at the table and the song sung by Chris and Nicole.
> 
> Mine would be you by Blake Shelton, this was I played over & over to get the feel of these two starting to fall for each other. It's also mentioned in the car. 
> 
> Possession by Sarah McLachlan
> 
> Lay Low by Blake Shelton


	4. Birthday in Boston

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first half of the day finds Nicole and Chris discovering each other and Boston as they tour several spots along with her family.

The warm breath of your niece, who was just inches from your face, woke you up Sunday morning.  “Happy Birthday Aunt Nicole,” she said softly as you slowly opened your eyes.  You began your 34th birthday with a sweet kiss on the tip of your nose.  She was grinning ear to ear, excited to be the first one to say it to you.

 

Reaching out your arm, you pulled her in for a snuggle, "Perfect start to it, thanks to you," you replied, smiling as you gave her a kiss back.

 

The boys had thoughtfully let you sleep in while they got ready. It was just after 8 am. When you and Maddie opened the door to your separate bedroom they shouted their birthday wishes to you.

 

"Thank you, thank you! Give me a few minutes to get ready and we can head down to breakfast okay?"  After a some quick hugs you made a beeline for the bathroom to get ready so everyone could go downstairs.  

 

Like most days, you were keeping your look simple.  Not much makeup, just a little bit of neutral eyeshadow and a some black liner along the top. Mascara and lip gloss topped it off. You put on a pair of small hoop earrings and a bracelet your niece had made you special for the trip. A little water spritzed into hair helped to coax the natural waves back into it. Tossing it up in a messy bun, you checked yourself in the mirror and decided you were ready for breakfast.

 

Maddie decided to help you dress and she chose a form fitting soft V-neck t-shirt in a periwinkle color to accentuate your blue eyes. Pairing it with some denim shorts and sneakers you were ready to go.  Just as you were getting ready to leave the room your phone chimed.

 

555 867-5309: _Good Morning! Happy Birthday Beautiful!!!! I'm on my way, should be there right around 9:30._

 

Nicole: _Why thank you Captain! I look forward to seeing you. Did you have breakfast? I can make you a plate from the buffet._

 

555 867-5309: _I'm good, had breakfast on my rounds this morning. I'll see you soon!_

 

You couldn't remove the smile from your face. This was really happening today! Holy shit! For his privacy, you decided to save his number under “My Captain,” then quickly lead the way towards the elevator as you began pondering  what “rounds” he could be talking about.

 

The kids made you a fresh waffle that was piled high with whipped cream. Maddie stuck a coffee stirrer into it to since she didn’t have a candle and they sang you “Happy Birthday.”  You drank your coffee, enjoying your waffle along with some fruit and hard boiled eggs.

 

Spending today with Chris Evans was not part of the original plan and you hoped that the day went smoothly. It was difficult to keep your noisy brain in check, but your family’s enthusiasm about the day really helped. You had just finished eating when you saw your brother hand the kids a small box. They walked it over to you, Maddie holding it as she walked with tiny steps over to you before holding it out dramatically.

 

"What's this?" you wondered aloud with a smile. Inside was a beautiful gold necklace with 2 chains, a pendant hanging from each. The shorter chain had a small crystal star, the longer chain had a delicate half moon on it. It was unique, and it was exactly your taste as you loved anything to do with space. It made you think of Peter Pan for some reason. You immediately put it on, much to the happiness of the children.

 

"I love it so much! Thank you!" you exclaimed, giving the kids and your brother a kiss each. You cleaned up your meals and returned upstairs to wait for Chris and get yourselves packed up for the day.

 

Just after 9:30 you heard a knock on the door. When you opened it there were flowers in your face and Chris' gorgeous head hiding behind them.

 

"You say it's your birthday!! It's my birthday too yeah," he came in singing, using the folder in his hand as the base for air guitar as he rocked out.

 

"They're beautiful, Chris!  Thank you so much, this was really thoughtful of you!"

 

Beaming, you threw your arms around him for a hug, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. The bouquet was made up of white violets and lavender roses. How he managed to get his hands on something this unique and beautiful on a Sunday you had no idea. Then again, a star of his status probably had a way of reaching a florist on short notice.

 

Chris plopped the folder down on the desk as Alex came over and they did their secret handshake again. Maddie was no fool, she made sure she got a hug and kiss instead of a handshake. Ryan and Chris traded fist bumps with each other over her head and laughed.

 

"So, what's on the agenda today? Did you bring the scrolls you wrote last night?" you teased, looking him over as nonchalantly as you could.

 

He was dressed super casual in a blue t-shirt layered with a plaid shirt in shades of grey, and wore dark grey cargo shorts and sneakers. Sunglasses were tucked into the collar of his shirt and he had a Boston baseball cap on. He was still handsome enough to get attention even without being a movie star, but casual enough where fans shouldn't recognize and rush him.

 

"I did, and I picked stuff that's mostly within walking distance so you don't have to worry about parking in the city. But first...Maddie, do you have our surprise?"

 

Giving him a huge grin, she ran over to her drawstring bag. While you had been having dinner, Maddie and Chris had drawn you a special birthday card on the extra paper he asked the waiter to bring over. They had drawn Captain America on the front. Inside it read: " _Captain America wants YOU to have a very special birthday!_ "  There were little shields and flags drawn around the card and they had both signed it with "Love."

 

Tearing up a little, you gushed over the gift, touched that he had thought ahead to have this made for you. "This is amazing, I can't believe I didn't see you guys making this last night!”

 

"Well, you did go off into your own world for a while, it made it a lot easier to make this," Chris teased.

 

"Trust me, you being here on my birthday, I'm still floating in orbit," avoiding his eyes, embarrassed but wanting him to know how you felt.  His response was a crooked, closed mouth smiled that reached all the way up to his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck.

 

Clapping his hands and rubbing them together quickly he said,  "Well birthday girl, let's do some planning for your big day!  Whatever you want to do today, just say it."

 

You could think of plenty of things you would want to "Do,” him included, but you decided to hold back your inappropriate response with the children present and all. This was going to be tougher than you thought. Apparently your dirty mind and sassy mouth were firing on all cylinders today.

 

Chris took off his hat and opened the folder, pulling papers from it.  While looking at them he reached out his left hand to you, opening & closing the palm to call you over. You came across the room and reached out to take his hand. As soon as your fingers made contact he tugged at your arm, spinning you towards him, ending with you pulled into his side.

 

The dance move caught you off guard and you gave a yelp in surprise, setting you both into a fit of laughter. Giant grins stretched across your faces as you looked at each other.  There was no place you’d rather be so remained at his side, your head leaning into his shoulder, arms around each other's waists, as you looked over the papers together making plans for the day.

 

You briefly closed your eyes, completely content and relishing the feel of being next to him. That was when you noticed the scent on his shirt.   "Mmmm, you smell like .... cinnamon?" you questioned, surprised it wasn’t cologne or the scent of soap perhaps. Chris laughed, grabbing his chest.

 

"On my rounds this morning I stopped by Carly’s place for Sunday breakfast. We had cinnamon rolls and French toast. It's one of the few things Miles “wikes", he said while adding air quotes to the mispronunciation. "Stella sat on my lap while we were eating, probably got some on my shirt somewhere."

 

"Well, be sure to thank her for me, you smell delicious." you admitted, taking an exaggerated deep sniff at him. He tucked you in a little closer and continued pointing out some of the highlights on the pages.

 

"So, the aquarium is a few minutes walk from here. It's not too big, we can probably be done with it in under 2 hours. I was thinkin' after, we hop on the Boston Duck Boat tour. It takes you past at least 30 landmarks. Plenty of stuff to see from it."

 

You noticed there were many things highlighted on the list of attractions the boat passed.  He seemed to know your taste. It was probably just a bi-product of acting but he seemed to read you like a book already.

 

Chris continued, pulling out another printout with his right hand. "Anything you see that you want to explore we can go back to. There's this trolley tour that also launches from the aquarium parking lot. We can hop on and off of it to go to specific places. I printed a list of the stops and what's at each one. This way we do whatevah strikes your fancy. What do you think Nikki?" he asked, biting his lip slightly, anticipation in his face as he looked down at you, trying to gauge your reaction.

 

"I think if this acting thing doesn't work out you totally found your backup plan. You would make a great vacation planner!" you complimented,  looking at the highlighted printouts with an amused smile on your face. He really did A LOT of work last night. It made you feel so special that he would go out of his way like this. Blushing in what must have looked like a glorious shade of red, you looked up, making eye contact so he could see your sincerity as you thanked him for doing all this planning for you.

 

"Anything for my birthday girl" he said, planting a smooch on your forehead. "Are you ready to go have some fun, Bahston style?"

 

"Can't wait!"   Looking around the room, you checked in with the others before reluctantly pulling away from Chris to gather the items needed for the long day in the city.

 

The first stop was the aquarium. The day was picture perfect for sightseeing. Highs in the low 70's, blue skies with a few fluffy white clouds, brilliant sunshine. Perfect weather for the end of May. Ryan walked a little ahead with the kids, giving you and Chris time to talk. You could tell Chris had something on his mind, but was apprehensive. You finally decided to call him out on it.

 

"Penny for your thoughts?" you asked, trying to keep it light. Your brain was running at warp speed, certain he was going to say he made a mistake, had to leave after the aquarium, should never have come.

 

"It's just, um, I wanted to ask if you were planning on posting anything on social media from today. Like, tagging where you are or anything. I'm worried that if someone puts two and two together, or spots me in a photo, we may get swamped by the paps or fans."

 

"Is that all?" you asked, relieved it was something so simple to deal with. "Nothing to worry about, really. My dad's a police detective, I suffer from his policeman's paranoia. I don't check-in places, and while I do love to post albums from my trips, it's always done after I've returned home. Otherwise I feel like I'm putting a big 'I'm not home, come rob me,' sign on my front door. You never know who can see your posts, y'know?"

 

Chris visibly relaxed. "I never thought of it that way, but yeah, you're right. And smart, by the way. Even with a private view people can get into your facebook and stuff, you'd never know they were there."

 

"Exactly! So, don't worry about today, no one knows about your being here except my family, and anyone you may have told in case we kidnap you"  Pausing for dramatic effect you added,  "Did you tell anyone?" before giving him a questioning look with a raised arch.

 

Standing up straighter he warned you, "Actually, my mom knows where I am. If I don't return, she knows where to find you Frasiers. You don't want to hurt her boy, believe me!"

 

"Why I wouldn't dream of hurting you.  Maybe a little spank here or there, but not unless you ask nicely," you added, a little coy smirk on your face. It was your birthday after all, and you didn't feel like censoring yourself. If he was going to hang with you he better get used to the dirty mind hidden by the sweet face.

 

Apparently, Chris didn't mind the way your brain worked at all. Without missing a beat he gave you a wicked grin and responded,  "Oh, don't worry, I always ask nicely unless I feel like being a naughty boy. Ya never know which side wants to come out and play."

 

Wow, the temperature rose fast around here!  Slowing down, you made your way to the railing before stopping to lean against it.  He joined you and let out an adorable laugh when you pointed out the cute duck butts sticking out the water as they dove down to eat.

 

Looking up at him to make sure you had his attention, you decided to put his mind at ease fully, wanting him to trust you.

 

“Listen, in all seriousness, nothing about this weekend, other than the game yesterday, will show up on social media. I had a talk with my brother last night on the way to the restaurant. We agreed to post the pic from the end of the game but that's it. It will say what a wonderful experience it was, how great you were, and how much fun we had. No one will know about dinner or today at all. I saw the shit that moron sold to TMZ of you after the Super Bowl and it pissed me off. You’re a person, flesh, bone and feelings.  You should never have to worry about some asswipe selling you out like that.... I swear to you it won't happen from us."

 

 

Chris took your cheek into his hand. He was looking at you through his sunglasses, but you could tell from his tone and his expression how relieved he was.

 

"You have no idea how much I appreciate you saying that. When I told my mom and my sister about dinner, and then today, they were both concerned that it would blow up in my face. I told them I didn't think I'd have to worry about it, but they were still nervous."

 

"You told your family about me?" you asked, a little shocked.

 

"Well yeah, of course. I talk to my mom almost nightly and she was eager to hear about how things went yesterday."

 

"And what did you tell her?" Now you were the one who was a bit nervous, you knew how much he valued his family's opinions.

 

He turned around, leaning his back against the railing and crossing his arms over his chest. "I told my mom you and your family were awesome and that we had a lot of fun together. I told her about you giving up the plane tickets. She was very impressed, said you sounded like a really good girl. Then I told her you tried to chloroform me..."

 

You interrupted him at that point, exclaiming, "YOU DID NOT! Christopher, what the hell? It was a joke! What did she say? Oh my God! Is she gonna put a hit on me or something?"

 

Chris barked out a laugh, doubling over and holding his stomach with one hand while gesturing to you with the other.

 

"Are you kidding me, she ate it up! Took her over a minute to stop laughing before she could talk again so I could explain to her it was a gag. She said she didn't think there was ever gonna be a girl who could out smart-ass me."

 

Now you were the one smiling from ear to ear, secretly delighted that you seemed to have earned the famous Lisa's approval.

 

"What about Carly? Did you rat me out to her too?" you said, pushing him on the arm.

 

"Yeah, I told her. She laughed for a while over it too. She wanted to know all the details about dinner with you, all about the kids, and your brother. I told her about the facetime and she was happy that their mom didn't get left out. Said everyone sounds wonderful and she wished we had told her so she could have met us for dinner."

 

Wow. You were having a hard time processing that last bit.

 

Last night was wonderful with just Chris. What the hell would it have been like with more of the Evans clan around? And, more importantly, just how much did he tell her to have her offer up something like that. You were suddenly filled with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that they approved of you like this.

 

Having cleared the air about everything, you both started back towards the aquarium, reaching Ryan as he was next in line for the ticket window. Chris started to pull his wallet out, but Ryan pushed his hand away.

 

"Put that away, this is my treat. It's the least I can do after yesterday," Ryan looked at Chris, then lowered his sunglasses and wiggled his eyebrows, "You have no idea how many points you scored me with the wife last night on that facetime!"

 

Chris laughed and the boys hi-fived each other.  They are both such dorks! Tickets were handed out to everyone, and when your brother handed you your ticket, you thanked him with a kiss to the cheek. Everyone entered the aquarium, Chris lowering his hat and keeping his head down as he went through the ticket takers.

 

It was decided that the best way to tackle the place was from the top down, so you all made your way to level 4. Chris was correct in his assessment of not needing much time to get through it. While very pretty, this aquarium was a lot smaller than the ones closer to home.

 

There was a beautiful 4 story tank in the middle with a very old and very large turtle, and lots of beautiful fish. Each level had special exhibits with jellyfish, local marine life and the like.

The kids and Chris had fun playing in the touch tanks. While everyone enjoyed holding sea stars you all had very different reactions to the rest. You took a video and some photos on your phone of Chris when the kids talked him into petting the baby sharks.

 

It was adorable! He scrunched up his face, shoulders contracting in towards his chest and kept saying "I don't wike it!" until the kids relented and let him take his hand up. He ran over to the hand washing station immediately. You were laughing so hard watching him, so happy that you forever had footage of that moment (even though you would never post it for the public). He walked back towards the tank, trying to act cool, drying off each individual finger as he approached.

 

"Your turn Nicole! Why don't you feed the stingrays?" he asked, having seen that you had yet to reach into the tank yourself.

 

"Nope, I'm good," you answered, subconsciously stepping back from the tank.

 

"Whatsa matter? Chicken? Scared of a little stingray?" he teased.

 

"They freak me out, dude. I fed them at an aquarium near our house and they all jumped on each other, coming out the water and they barked! Like dogs or something. Creepy little things! Fish should not bark!" you insisted, still trying to get out of it.

 

Chris was now the one laughing at you and pulling out his phone for revenge, "Cah mon Nikki, I triple dog dare ya to touch them. Alex, bring her some of the fish to feed them!"

 

"Triple dog...?" you put your head down into your hand for a moment, then looked back at them all. The kids were waiting to see if you were going to accept the dare.

 

Pointing his way, you leveled your gaze and threatened, “When I lose a finger you'll be hearing from my lawyer you putz!"

 

Looking over at the kids you chided them for giggling, "Whose side are you on? Stop encouraging him!" when they just giggled louder you gave up.

 

"Give me the damn food," you mockingly yelled at the kids, smiling at the goofy grins on the faces of the children.

 

Slapping your hand on the top of the water  you called out, "Wake up you blimey fish!" This earned a smile from Chris, who recognized the line from “A Fish Called Wanda.”  

 

The stingrays approached as soon as you held the first fish out and you fed them, emptying the dish as quickly as you could, (and shutting your eyes when they started barking just as you predicted) before hurrying to the sink.

 

When you dried your hands Chris came over and gave you a big hug...and it was lovely to be held by him.

 

Pulling back and making a pouty face he joked, "Awww, are you okay? Did the big bad stingrays hurt you?"

 

You shot him a dirty look before disengaging yourself from his hold and turned to your family, asking, "Who's ready for the shark movie?"

 

Everyone loved the 3D IMAX movie about great whites, except for Chris who seemed to truly have an issue with them. You didn't know if he was serious or just trying to be a pest, but he kept leaning over towards your ear, muttering things about the sharks and singing the Jaws theme.

 

"Why would you even go in thea?"

 

"People are nuts trying to swim with these things!"

 

"This is why I keep telling Hemsworth I won't surf!"

 

"Fahkin shawks!”

 

“Alright, that's it! I’m nevah going into the ocean again!”

 

You had to pull every ounce of strength you had to not laugh out loud, not wanting to ruin the experience for the others in the theater.  All you could do was shush him every now and again and pat his arm.

 

The main floor is where you got your wish to see the Little Blue Penguins. Chris was elated, watching your enthusiasm and fell in love with them as well. The tiny blue fluffy penguins were natives of Australia & New Zealand, and were just 2-3 pounds each. There were a bunch of other penguins here too, each one adorable in it's own right, but you were smitten with these exotic ones. Chris took a bunch of pics too, saying he couldn't wait to show his niece and nephews.

 

The trip to the aquarium ended with watching the seals swimming and playing, and all in all the visit took just under 2 hours.

 

As expected, the way out was through the gift shop. You picked out a shot glass for your collection and the kids wanted little souvenirs as well. Maddie chose a long lollipop that had a stuffed animal blue penguin holding onto it. Ryan picked out a shark, sneaking up on Chris with it. You were up at the counter ready to pay when Chris swooped in handing the cashier some bills.

 

"My treat, birthday girl!" he said with a smile. You all thanked him and started heading out of the aquarium to check for the next duck boat tour.

 

"So, you only wanted a shot glass?" Chris asked.

 

"Yeah, I have a collection. Been picking them up since the early 90's. People bring them to me too. I think I have close to 80 now from all over the world," you explained.

 

"Do you drink a lot?" Chris asked, both joking and a little worried.

 

"Nooo, it's just an easy gift. A small and inexpensive souvenir," you explained.

 

"Makes sense. I used to collect key chains and stuff, but I stopped awhile back. I should probably start a collection of something again. Maybe shot glasses is the way to go," he answered and playfully pushed into your shoulder.

 

Next stop was just outside of the aquarium where the Boston Duck Tours were set up. This time Chris jumped ahead and bought tickets for everyone. You were set to board with a driver named Guido, who said he was from Italy and had a very thick accent. After everyone thanked Chris he excused himself for a minute and pulled Guido aside. You could overhear him a bit and surmised he was introducing himself and giving the driver a heads up so he would know Chris was on the tour, just in case anyone else spotted him and things got out of hand.

 

You also heard him ask for a seat in the rear so that no one would be looking at him by accident. The man was thrilled to have him on board and promised to keep his secret safe. Your group was allowed to board first ,and immediately upon sitting, Chris lowered his hat and pulled out his phone. He used it as a cover to be looking down, figuring people would look right past him. It worked. The tour filled up and no one was the wiser that a celebrity was on board.

 

From the aquarium, the tour would take you around to see 32 landmarks throughout the city. Guido informed you that throughout the tour you were supposed to "quack" at pedestrians, police officers, anyone really, and that you had to quack back if they did it to you first. It felt ridiculous at first, but everyone on the tour got into it by the third stop. At one point the driver started laughing and asking everyone to stop. The bus was on Newberry Street, which he explained was a no quacking zone because it was upscale.

 

You pulled out a pamphlet of Boston from your backpack and Chris pointed out the locations he thought you may want to explore after. There were a few beautiful old churches and parks that caught your eye. The Museum of Science looked like it may be a fun place for the whole family (and it was air conditioned). You got really excited when you saw the Swan Boats and thankfully everyone was game for it.

 

A lot the stops were historical and you learned about Paul Revere, lavender glass, saw an extremely moving Holocaust Memorial. At one point the tour entered the Charles River with a splash and you got to see the college and areas where “Good Will Hunting” were filmed. You even passed the Cheers bar, everyone joined Guido in singing the theme song.

 

As you were checking out the scenery, Chris pulled your sunglasses off.

 

"Hey!" you scolded him and he held them looking at the writing.

 

"Minnie? As in the mouse?" he said, smiling.

 

"Yeah, I left my sunglasses at the hotel when we went to Disney World last November. Had to buy a pair at the park, and these were the coolest!" you grabbed the glasses back and put them on.

 

"When in November did you go? I was there right after Thanksgiving with my family," said Chris, looking at you instead of the next landmark Guido was talking about.

 

"We went the week before Thanksgiving. My brother let me tag along. I love Disney!" you said, still delighted that you got to go. "It was gorgeous, all decked out for Christmas. Did you go to one of the Very Merry Christmas Party nights too?" you asked.

 

This started Chris on a tangent, with him telling you all about his love of the Disney parks for the next 15 minutes of so. He spoke quietly, leaning in towards you, trying to not disturb the other passengers. He looked like a big kid, beaming as he spoke about the parks while you compared notes with each other on rides.

 

After the 80 minute tour (and Disney talk) you were returned to the aquarium parking lot. You said your goodbyes to Guido who broke character, much to your amusement. Turns out his real name was Joe and he was from Brooklyn! You guys talked for a few minutes, Chris stopping to take a selfie with him.

 

Everyone was getting hot and the kids spotted a café where they were serving ice cream and snacks. It had been a few hours since breakfast, so everyone grabbed a hotdog or big soft pretzel. Your brother bought everyone ice cream cones and you all went outside to the benches to enjoy them. The kids claimed Chris for Spain, parking themselves on either side of him to eat. Your brother went into the shade to eat his while calling his wife to catch her up on the days activities so far. You sat on the edge of a planter, eating your ice cream and eyeing Chris from behind the safety of your sunglasses. Or so you thought.

 

He had taken off his plaid and wrapped it around his waist before coming outside. There was full on bicep porn as they were seriously straining the poor fabric of his shirt. 'Suns out, guns out' you thought, chuckling to yourself until you moved your eyes farther up to his face.

 

How can something as innocent as eating ice cream be so pornographic?

 

You watched as he licked his way around the cone, long broad strokes that sent your imagination into overdrive of other ways he could use that tongue.  Squeezing your thighs together involuntarily, you began licking your own ice cream, daydreaming it was him you were licking.   He caught you looking and quirked that damn eyebrow up to let you know he was on to you.  He then set about slowly and deliberately licking his own cone.

 

Bastard! Sitting there with the kids so sweet and devilish at the same time.

 

You finished your treat and stood up to find a garbage for the napkin. He finished with a couple of big bites, downing the rest of it and attempting to intercept you, a smug smile on his face.

 

"Penny for your thoughts," he asked, repeating your line from this morning.

 

He wasn’t getting the satisfaction of knowing how badly he had just affected you. You gave him a tight lipped smirk and tittered before answering him.

 

"I'm just thinking I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue,” you said with a perfectly straight face. Then as you wadded up your napkin and threw it into the garbage pail, you declared, "3 points!" and walked away.

 

You caught Chris smiling at you, giving a little shake to his head as he laughed. Not the reaction he was expecting, but you liked to keep him on his toes.

 

Eventually everyone got their second wind from eating, and the group made their way down to the trolley cars to do a little more in depth touring. Chris and your brother both tried to pay and agreed to split it. First stop was the New Old South Church which Chris promised you was really pretty.

 

While you were walking there your cell phone rang. Seeing that it was your parents, you answered and let Ryan know you were stopping to talk to them for a minute.  Moving into the shade of a nearby building, you leaned against the bricks, Chris on your heels. Ryan and the kids went inside the store next door to browse and get out of the heat.

 

You spoke with both parents for a few minutes each, thanking them for their birthday wishes and telling them that you were having an amazing weekend.  Promises were made to give them a full rundown of the weekends events during your weekly Wednesday dinner.  They asked what you four were up to today and you answered that it was five, letting them know Chris was with you but that it was to be kept secret. They were understandably excited; your mom asking if he was as handsome in person as in the movies.

 

You looked at him, trying to not blush and give away what you were talking about when you answered, "Even better," to your mom. You thought he figured it out anyway, due to the smile you saw come across his face while he pretended to look around and not be eavesdropping.

 

"I really need to get going, we still have a lot on our plate for today. Thank you so much for calling. Love you!" you said while blowing kisses into the phone out of habit. After you ended the call you and Chris started over to the store to gather the others.

 

"You close with your parents?" Chris inquired.

 

"Very, we're a small family, tight knit. My parents have been married almost 50 years," you explained, a bit wistfully since you always hoped to have a marriage like theirs but had never found the right guy.

 

"That's something special. You don't hear about marriages like that anymore. It's what I always hoped for myself, just never met the right girl."

 

You could have sworn you heard the same wishful tone in his voice as he said it.

 

The Church didn't disappoint. It was truly beautiful; with dark wood pews, gorgeous stained glass windows everywhere. It's the kind of church that makes you feel like you're in the presence of something special.

 

"Are you religious?" Chris asked as you walked around and you stopped to light a candle at the alter.

 

"We were raised Catholic, but I don't practice any particular religion anymore. I guess I'm more spiritual than religious, universal energy and such. My mom and I have a tradition of lighting candles when we go to a church to honor those we love who have passed on."

 

Chris nodded and gave you one of those soft smiles again, the kind that reached all the way up to his eyes that you could finally see without his sunglasses.

 

"What about you? Irish Catholic?" you queried.

 

"Yeah, but I'm the same as you, pretty much. I got into Buddhism in my early twenties, follow the Dalai Lama. I try to just be a good person, put forth the best energy I can into the world. Live with love, y'know?"

 

"I do," you said in agreement.

 

Yep, that's right, you just found a way to "I do" to Chris Evans in a church. Clever girl.

 

Your marquee face must have been projecting your smug thoughts, because you noticed Chris looking at you, reading your expression. He moved in close to you so he could talk without others hearing.

 

"You're thinking something, and from what I can see on your face I don't think it's appropriate for church. You're not having impure thoughts are you?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows devilishly.

 

Clearly caught and flustered by it you whispered back, "No no no, you are NOT allowed to do that eyebrow thing inside a church."

 

"What, you mean this?" he continued teasing, adding in the dashing evil smile this time.

 

"I'm gonna go call the sin wagon and get out of here before I burn. Bye Evans!" you said, turning away from his quickly before he could torture you any more. He gave you a head start, then caught up, a little bounce in his step as he walked next to you out of the church.

 

When everyone was gathered back together, Chris pointed across the street and over to the right.

 

"The public garden is on the other side of the block, and the swan boats Nicole was asking about are inside the park. Do you want to go there next?" Chris asked.

 

"Would you mind? I’d love that!" you asked him, feeling giddy. For some reason you had a sudden obsession with those boats.

 

"As you wish,” Chris said, lowering his sunglasses to look you in the eyes, holding out his elbow for you to take.

 

"Why, thank you Wesley!" you answered  sweetly, putting your arm through the opening as he began walking you across the intersection.

 

"Aunt Nicole, why are you calling him Wesley?" a rather confused Alex asked looking at the two of you.

 

"It's from the Princess Bride movie."

 

Still looking confused he followed up with "Is Chris in it?"

 

You chastised your brother for his lazy movie parenting skills and the three of you began telling the kids all about the movie on the way to the boats, mostly in quotes that did little to clear up the plot for the kids, but were rather enjoyable to the adults. Alex must have absorbed some of it though as you heard him saying "inconceivable" a few times.

 

Before reaching the water Chris said one more quote, leaning down quietly so only you would hear: _"There's a shortage of perfect breasts in the world, it would be a pity to damage yours."_

 

He then took off like a bat out of hell towards the ticket booth, leaving you red faced and trying to hold it together, leaning against a large lamp post.

 

Your family kept asking what was so funny but there was just no way in hell you were going to tell them. Nope, this one was for your ears only.

 

Chris came back with the tickets and looked at you a little sheepishly as he handed you one, but was happy to see you still smiling and flustered. You walked towards the water to the flat bottom boat with a front and back shaped and painted like a beautiful giant swan. The driver peddled the "boat" around the lake, while the visitors sat on long benches.

 

He took your hand to help you into the boat and, to your surprise in public, never let go. You sat at the back again to help with hiding him, so far so good for the day.

 

After a few minutes Chris wrapped his arm around you and pulled you into him again, letting you rest your head on his shoulder and snuggle into his side. The lazy ride and breeze from the water made this feel absolutely decadent. You let out a deep, contented sigh that caused Chris to chuckle.

 

"Happy?" he asked, the smile evident in his voice.

 

"Very," you said.

 

"Good, you deserve to be," he responded, planting a kiss on the top of your head.

 

"By the way Nic, and please don't think me creepy for saying this, but you smell amazing. It's like summer or something. What perfume are you wearing?"

 

You chuckled a laugh into his shoulder before responding, "It's not perfume, it's Coppertone sunscreen. The only one I'll use because of this scent. If I didn't slather myself up I'd be burnt toast by now."

 

"Gah, no wonder! I keep having these nostalgic thoughts of my childhood and summer when I'm close to you and couldn't figure out why. That explains it though, Coppertone. God I miss my summers as a kid," he said while taking a deep sniff of you.

 

"Buy a candle buddy, it will last longer! Yankee Candle makes one called Sandcastle that I buy year round because it smells like this."

 

"I'll have to get a couple, or a dozen..." Chris said softly, you could swear, still inhaling your scent. You snuggled in a little deeper, enjoying the hell out him right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Music heavily inspires me and plays a role throughout the story. While writing this chapter I had "Your Love" by the Outfield playing on repeat. 
> 
> Birthday by The Beatles is sung by Chris
> 
> Flower he brought in the bouquet were chosen for the meaning behind them. Lavender roses mean Enchantment. White violets mean Let's Take A Chance on Happiness. Thank you to my cousin K for her help with finding these and for being an amazing beta  
> .  
> All locations and things within the locations are real, I did however take creative license with the geographic locations for the sake of the story.


	5. Houston, We Have Lift Off!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second half of their tour of Boston finds Chris and Nicole discovering some shared passions and some surprises.

Back on land, you ambled along the shore for a few minutes. Chris brought you all to an area he said was famous for their "Ducks in the Park" statues. Along the way he checked his phone, cursing under his breath at seeing several missed text messages. 

"Shit, let me get back to them before they start harassing me with calls," he grumbled, then began typing on the screen.

While Chris was reading his messages, Ryan got your attention. Acting as your wonderful wingman he said conspiratorially, "I'm gonna take the kids down by the water's edge so they can feed the ducks for a while. You two take your time, we're in no rush today." 

With a wink at you he was gone, finally giving you some time alone with Chris. You were concerned about the messages though, hoping nothing had come up and that he could stay with you.

"Everything alright? Do you need to leave?" you asked, wincing a little while waiting for his answer, fingers crossed hoping he said no.

"What? No, no, nothing like that. My Mom and Carly are blowing up my phone, wanting to know how today's going. It was Mom's idea to take you to the church, she thought you’d like it there." Typing away he continued "I'm letting her know she was right about that. Howevah, I'll be nice and won't tell how you almost got struck by lighting inside it," and looked up from his phone to wink at you.

"Yeah, you and me both buddy," you snickered at him, then asked, "What about your sister?"

"Actually, Carly’s idea might be great for right now. She said the kids would enjoy going to Georgetown Cupcakes and it’s not too far from here. It's on the way to the Museum of Science we talked about earlier."

"Oooh, sugar rush and hopefully some caffeine! I like her thinking." You started to fidget as he typed a reply back to his sister, feeling awkward all of a sudden about being alone with Chris. "So, maybe I'll head down and get some pictures of the ducks and stuff."

Looking up quickly from his phone, you could see he wasn't happy about that idea. 

"Why? I mean, come with me instead." 

With a jerk of his thumb, Chris pointed the way towards a large flat rock, perfect for sitting upon and seeing the lake.

For once, you were alone together and proceeded to sit in a comfortable silence. For a few minutes you just people watched and then found yourselves chuckling when you spotted your family. 

Maddie had been trying to feed the ducks and swans. Apparently, one was not good at waiting his turn and proceeded to charge at her. She hauled ass away from the duck, running behind her father with her food cup clutched in her hands. Alex was shooing the big bully away, ever the protective big brother. 

"Alex and Maddie are really great kids. I like your brother a lot too, he's a cool guy," Chris complemented, nodding his head while he spoke. You soaked up the praise, proud of children as if they were your own. 

“Aw, thank you. I know they're loving spending the day with you." You heard yourself sigh before continuing, "They're getting so grown up now. I've been with these kids since moments after they were born." Without realizing it, you had begun to shake your head a little. "I had hoped to have kids of my own by now. We always wanted to have cousins close in age so they could grow up together. Now she's almost 8 and he'll be a teenager before we know it. Life rarely goes as planned I guess." Wanting to live in the now, you shook yourself out of your reverie.

Nodding his head, Chris said, "Believe me, I know exactly what you mean. I love kids, sometimes they’re easier to deal with than adults. I'll be 36 soon, still single...I thought I'd be a family man by this point too." 

He turned his head sideways to look at you, giving a smile tinged with a bit of sadness that nearly reached his eyes, and pushed his body into your left side, causing you to rock together before continuing, “At least, for now, we have our surrogate kids. I can see the way you are with these two. You've been their mom while she's not here. And it's obvious how much they adore you. It's the same for me with Ethan, Miles and Stella. I'd do anything for them. I'm at their house as much as I can be. We play video games, build forts aaaaaaand I'll deny it if you repeat this, but I even play Barbie's with Stella." 

He gave you a warning look, for all of 2 seconds before breaking into a grin again. He returned his gaze to the waterfront and your angels, "They're enough for now, but this won’t be all we get to be. We still have plenty of time." 

He sounded confident, but you weren't sure if he was trying to convince you or himself. 

You snorted then, failing to stifle a laugh. He raised his brow at you, questioning what set you off. You let out the laugh, "Sorry, but, I just got this vivid image in my head of you, sitting on the floor with Stella, rocking your hand back and forth as you make your Barbie walk around to interact with hers." 

You were motioning with your left hand the whole time, alternating between playing air Barbie and clutching it to your heart. 

Giving him a look of pure endearment while he just stared at you amused, you had tears beginning to form in your eyes from the laughter, "You're just...ah man, you're adorable. You truly are." 

Your laughter subsided and you were both left with warm smiles on your faces. His face was shy and had a touch of red from the blush upon it. 

You could tell that his “Single, no children status” was a bit of a touchy subject for him, and you felt honored that he would discuss it so openly with someone who was basically a stranger. But there was this weird feeling between the two of you, like you had known each other for years. The idea that maybe it was just because you had watched him in movies for so long same to mind, but he seemed to feel it too. It was quiet then, you resumed with your people watching, both lost in thought.

Leaning against each other on the rock, you felt Chris' fingers toying with yours. He didn't seem to even know he was doing it, just picking each finger up, then dropping it down. You turned your head away from him and smiled to yourself, trying to not laugh at how cute you found this for some reason. 

You let him continue, not saying anything, just enjoying the breeze, the rock, this precious man you were sitting with. Ryan and the kids had started making their way up the hill towards you and knew your little bubble was about to burst. You decided to wait until they reached you before you would even think about moving away from Chris.

Maddie came close and grabbed your legs, leaning her head into your lap. You stroked her hair, smiling down at your favorite little girl. Shifting off of his shoulder, you caught Chris watching you, this time the sweet smile did reach his eyes.

"I forgot to tell you, I sent the pictures I took of you with the lil' blue penguins to my mom and sister,” he told Maddie, “They said the penguins were cute, but that you were adorable." His expression was somehow both shy and proud at the same time.

You flashed him a radiant smile, "Told you I like them already." 

Maddie straightened up, lips pursed for a kiss. You gave her one, and a quick hug and you curled yourself over, burying your happy grin in her hair. Leaving everyone to catch up with Chris, you took a quick walk down to the water to snap a few photos for yourself, wanting to capture this magical place for your memories. 

Photos and selfies taken, you trekked a few blocks south to find the cupcake store. The smell was intoxicating. There were so many to pick from, you had to hold yourself back from getting two.

Maddie asked the counter lady for a candle and lighter so they could sing to you again, but properly this time. Once everyone got their orders, she stuck the candle into your cupcake and you had a mini birthday cake serenaded by your loved ones. The adults had some coffee and Chris let you have a bite of the Red Velvet cupcake he chose. You gave him a bite of yours which was chocolate with vanilla cream cheese frosting. You had to admit, these cupcakes were amazing! The company wasn't bad either.

The museum was a quick walk and would be your last big stop of the day. Chris hadn't been there, but his sister had recommended it. You figured it would be a good place to escape the heat and let the kids expel some energy. She told him there were lots of hands on experiences, dinosaurs, and space stuff! Looking it up on your phone you saw there were full size models of the Mercury and Apollo capsules and other NASA memorabilia. You and Chris discovered a shared passion for the space program and you excitedly showed him the necklace the kids gave you that morning, purchased because of your love of the cosmos. 

"Have you been to the Kennedy Space Center?" you inquired.

"Absolutely, I love it there! Have you visited?" 

Chris looked like a little kid, apparently thrilled to have someone to talk about the space program with.

"Yeah, I went a couple of years ago on a trip to Florida. I took more pics there than I did at Disney. Did you see the 3D move with..." cutting you off, Chris finished your sentence.

"The inside view of the Hubble? That was out-rageous! One of the best 3D experiences evah!" he said excitedly, his hands on both your shoulders now, making sure he had your full attention.

"It was beautiful, I actually teared up at some of the visions they showed. The ISS one was pretty cool too. Did you do the simulation ride?"

"Yeah, almost got sick on this though. Don't think I could ever handle a real launch," Chris replied, slightly shaking his head, disappointed with himself.

"Can you keep a secret? I almost hurled! I forget I get motion sickness until I'm strapped into a ride and it's too late," you confided while laughing at yourself. He joined in and put his arm around your shoulders. 

Motioning towards the bounty of space stuff in front of you he said, "Shall we?" looking down at you with a sly smile.

"Race you to the capsule!" and with that the race was on to get in first. 

Chris won, with those damn long legs of his, but ever the gentleman he let you sit inside first. 

The kids made fun of you and Chris, taking your turns in the capsules, before cutting in front of them to go again. The museum had a video that simulated the lunar landing from inside on of the capsules. You promised next time you all went to Florida you would take them to the Space Center, now that they were old enough to enjoy it.

At one point you found yourself alone, leaning against a podium and playing with the different stones that were for sale upon it. Chris was inside the capsule (again) and the kids were on either side of him. Maddie was pressing the buttons and flipping switches on Chris' command, Alex was the voice of Houston. 

You watched this scene in front of you, completely enamored by it. However, seeing Chris interacting with the children also set you into a tailspin. You allowed yourself to indulge in a fantasy of what it would be like if you were a couple and were here with a family of your own. You chastised yourself, forcing a stop to your wishful thinking because it was making your ovaries ache, and wiped away a tear you hadn't even realized was there. 

Ryan noticed something was up with you, putting two and two together when he glanced at the capsule and then back at you. He knew you had a thing for Chris before, and meeting the real person didn't disappoint. 

Once again, he knew how to cheer you up. Looking you up and down he made a small tsk tsk sound, slowly shaking his head.

"What?" you asked, pursing your lips and squinting your eyes in a glare at him.

"I finally know what nerds in love look like. Got a mirror? I can show you."

Before you could respond you heard your name. Turning you saw Chris pointing to another exhibit and beckoning you over with his head. A giant dorky grin was on that perfect face and you couldn't help but smile. You put up your index finger and nodded, letting him know you'd be right over. 

Leaning in you gave your big brother a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "From your lips to God's ears." Turning on your heel with a bounce, you went over to see what your giant nerd was gushing about now.

You ended the visit with a stop at the butterfly room. Chris took pictures of you with a bright blue one that landed on your shoulder. You took pictures of the kids and Ryan standing near them. One landed on Chris' head, freaking him out, and you were able to snap a shot before it flew away. 

"Man do I have some blackmail now! Captain America, afraid of a little butterfly" you teased. 

"Excuse me but that was far from a little butterfly, it was the size of my hand. And what if it pooped on me, or bit me...wait do they bite?" wiping at his head making sure there was nothing left behind by the violating predator.

"I don't think so, but maybe you should google it, Captain Scaredy Pants." Nope, you were not letting this one go anytime soon.

"I'll be back. Gonna go to the restroom and get out of this torture chamber for a few," he retorted, still waving his hand around his head as he headed to the exit.

You were walking around snapping more photos of the butterflies when Ryan approached you.

"So Nicole, I've got some news you may be interested in hearing,” your brother sung to you.

"And what might that be?" you sung back, giving him an amused smile in return.

Leaning against a wall, and talking low, your brother continued, "What if I told you that while you were busy playing astronaut, a certain guy you've been mooning over came to talk to me?"

"Continue..." you prompted, leaning against the wall next to him, looking around to make sure Chris was still MIA. 

"He wanted to know if we had any set plans for your birthday dinner tonight. I told him we were just winging it and he asked if it'd be okay for him to ask you out alone," Ryan was speaking calmly and quietly, but you could tell he was thrilled to be giving you the dirt.

"Are you messing with me? Cause I will fuck you up if you're messing with me!" you warned him, not allowing yourself to believe what you were hearing.

"C’mom Nic, why would I lie to you about something like that? He wanted to check with me first because he didn't want to spoil any plans we may have already made. I told him we’d be fine with eating on our own, but he would have to ask you himself. He even asked what kind of food you liked. I may have also told him your favorite dessert," he boasted, sounding smug and happy with himself. 

"You really think he's gonna do it? Wait, when is he going to do it?" Holy shit! Your insecurity was rising while your heart was singing!

"Not sure, but probably soon. He'll need time to go home and change and it's getting late." With that Ryan put his arm around you and pulled you close, giving you a kiss on the forehead. Then, because he's your big brother and can't help himself he started whispering, "Nikki and Evans sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."

"Shut up you shithead!" you scolded while laughing and punching him in the stomach. You playfully stormed off, flipping him the bird over your shoulder. 

"What was that all about?" you heard Chris ask as he entered the exhibit and came up alongside you.

"Some boys don't grow up, that's what's up!" you answered him, looking around at the butterflies flitting around (how did they get out of your belly?) since you were unable to look at him right now. Deciding to change the subject, you called out, "You guys ready to head out?" 

When you saw everyone nodding and meandering their way over, you let them know you wanted to stop at the gift shop for a minute.

The gift area was as fun as the museum itself, and was full of lots of quirky items. You happily snapped up another shot glass that had the name of the museum and said Tesla on it. When Chris saw the name, you found another shared passion, and discussed Nikola Tesla until you walked outside. You also picked up a few bags of Astronaut ice cream for the group to share. It was weird, kind of chalky, but actually tasted pretty good.

"I saw on the map that Faneuil Hall Marketplace is on the way to the trolley, can we walk through it on the way there?" you questioned, checking to see who was on board. They all agreed and your group started making it's way outside. 

Chris got spotted for the first time, by a kid no less. He was gracious about it and posed with the 6 year old for a picture, signing an autograph for the parents. We ducked out of the area as quickly as we could after that, hat and sunglasses firmly back in place.

You walked next to Chris on the way, Ryan and kids ahead of you. 

You were lost in thought, God there so many thoughts. Walking next to you, Chris nudged you with his arm, "You're awfully quiet. What's buzzing around that head of yours?"

"Just thinking...I have a song stuck in my head, a line from it just keeps playing over and over," you explained, still looking down, walking a little slower now. 

"What song? Anything I'd know?"

"Probably. Dave Matthew's, 'Stay'. I keep hearing the part that goes: 'Wasting time....I shall miss this day when it all rolls by....but what a day.....wanna stay, stay, stay for a while…," you sang to him.

Nodding his head along to the tune Chris said "I know it. Love DMB. That song has a lot of great lines. How does the next verse go? Hey love..."

Turning your faces towards each other with smiles, you invented the art of giggle singing as you made it a duet, “Oh, just groping you and rolling in the mud...stay awhile, oh c'mon , I wanna stay, stay, stay, stay for a while."

You were both blushing now, smiling shyly, walking slower. Chris was the first to speak. 

"I love the part in the beginning too, where he goes: 'I watched as sweat ran down your face. Reached up and I caught it at your chin and licked my fingertips.’ The image described is so strong and I gotta admit, I find that song kinda sexy.”

Gulping, you suddenly felt the need to walk a little faster, not sure if you could handle talking to Chris about all of the things he found sexy without pouncing on him. You were in public after all, and this was just a friendly outing. Not a date. Just friends...or mutual acquaintances, who would probably never see each other after today. Damn your logical mind, but at least it helped reign in the unicorns and their rainbows that were all but prancing around you guys. You were both quiet as you reached the others, the words and images still running through your mind. 

The Marketplace was absolutely worth visiting. Aside from shopping there was live entertainment all over with jugglers, contortionists, and musicians. There were so many shops to choose from! You went into a store with your brother when he spotted tops with "Boston" on them. 

Chris stayed with the kids to watch a magician perform while you guys browsed. Ryan got a t-shirt (you warned him his wife was going to kill him for bringing yet another one home) and you picked out a green hoodie with Boston across the front. Chris and the kids came in while you were waiting on line. He came over and plucked the hanger out of your hands to see what you found. 

"Do you mind?" you said to you, drawing the words out feigning annoyance.

"Just plain Boston huh? Not very original. Why a hoodie?" he questioned, looking at the tag inside.

"Because they're soft and warm and I like to have a memory of my travels. Now, can I please have it back?” And snatched the hanger back from Chris.

"Well then, by the next time I see you I'll have to get you a proper hoodie. One that says ‘Sudbury’! Much cooler than a plain Boston one!" he replied, sounding a bit hesitant, and looking away. You thought you saw a little flush in his cheeks.

"Wha-wait, next time you see me? Does that mean you want to see me again?" you asked, sputtering a bit, not sure if he was just joking or not. You absentmindedly toyed with the hanger, spinning the metal around in circles

Chris turned his face to look at you sideways. You were right, his cheeks were a bit red and he seemed nervous, hands swiping the back of his neck as he said, “To be honest, I would. Very much, Nicole. That is if you’d want to see me again."

You were stunned, never imagining that you would see him past the game and a quick dinner yesterday. Now, you didn't know where this would go, but you were inwardly jumping up and down. A full birthday with Chris was bonus enough, but it looks like you were about to go into overtime and it felt glorious.

This time you were the one who had to look away, afraid that if you looked at him you would lose it. You angled your head towards him, raising your brow quickly. "I would love to see you again," you answered him, face probably a shade closer to Merlot at this point. 

You were relieved when the cashier called you up, giving you a few moments reprieve to get your head down from the clouds. After you paid, you and Chris exchanged quick, bashful smiles with each other, and you all headed out of the store together. Your heart felt about to burst from your chest and you had to breathe deep and slow to get yourself under control again.

The kids spotted a comic book and pop culture store and started heading over to it with Ryan. You stopped, checking out the window of a bookstore that had some local books and statues of the swans and ducks from the park. Chris was getting dragged by the hand by Maddie when he noticed you weren't with them any longer. He extracted himself from her grasp and started walking back towards you, Ryan swooped in to push her along, eager to give you guys a moment alone. You saw him give you a thumbs up and couldn't help but give a quick chuckle. Chris came back stopping a bit away from you to stay in sight of the others. 

"Nicole, you comin?" he asked. 

You were grateful to be wearing sunglasses so he wouldn't see the evil glint in your eyes as you turned and started walking towards him. 

"Nah, just breathing heavy,” you quipped, while approaching him. 

Chris doubled over, barking out a shocked laugh and covering his mouth with his left hand. 

"Jesus Nic!” he said shaking his head as he looked up to the heavens, letting out, “Fahck me!”

"In your dreams Evans,” you retorted over your shoulder having just passed him. 

You could tell from the smile on his face he was enjoying the banter, which was good cause you were on a roll now and happy to have broken up the awkwardness from a few minutes ago.

Catching up to walk next to you Chris teased, "You got a smart mouth sweetheart.”

"I'll have you know my mouth is a lot more than just smart," wiggling your eyebrows. You couldn't help yourself, it just came out. You were barely keeping your face straight at this point.

"Shit! You're killin me, I can't!" Chris said, waving his arms around, clearly amused and loving this. 

"I could do this all day!" you continued before finally breaking down. 

You were both laughing so hard now that it was calling attention, not good for Chris. As you looked around at everyone you suddenly found yourself being dragged to the side of the building.

"Come hea," Chris said, reaching for you and wrapping his arms around your shoulders to hug you to him, effectively pinning your body to the wall. 

Your hands wrapped around his back, under his plaid shirt. He felt so good, you could stay like this forever. You pressed your face into his shoulder and used it silence the laughter that was coming back around. 

"Sorry about that. I was raised by a man who loved puns and never met a double entendre or dirty joke he didn't like," you explained to him. 

You neglected to tell him you also used humor as a way to get past your nerves sometimes, and boy were your nerves firing fast since your little sing-a-long.

"Hey, no reason to apologize. I don't remember the last time a girl got me to laugh this hard. Probably Anna Farris. You're something else Nic," he said, releasing you but still looking down at you with a smile, making you blush.

"Wow...I take that as a huge compliment, she's great. Anna and Chris Pratt seem like wonderful people."

"They are, they truly are. I think you'd get along with them real well. They're very normal, down to earth, but also hysterically funny. "

You allowed yourself to imagine hanging out as couples for a few a seconds, then snapped yourself back to reality. 

"Yeah well, it would be cool I'm sure. But, we better go find the others before they send a search party out for us."

When you started to move he blocked you. You looked up at him, locking blue eyes with each other. 

"Before we go, I wanted to ask you something." 

You turned towards him, leaning your side into the wall, nodding to let him know you were listening.

"So, um, I was wondering if you would, uh, go to dinner with me tonight. Y’know for your birthday? I checked with your brother. He said he was cool if you were ok with going alone with me. So will ya?"

His expression was so endearing right now. Chris' face was scrunched up, eyebrows jumping all over. His right hand was scratching at the back of his neck, elbow pointing up in the air. His left hand was apparently helping him speak, moving all over the place when his words faltered. Gone was the confident actor and in his place was a nervous teenage boy asking his crush out on a date.

You couldn't help yourself. You pushed off the wall, wrapped your arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze. Looking up at him, you gave him a brilliant smile and said, "I would love to. There's no way I'd rather spend it."

Chris beamed down at you, giving you a quick peck on the nose (couldn't he ever slip up and get you on the lips?), "Alright, now we can go get the rest of the troublemakers."

Taking your hand, he walked you towards the store that your family had just come out of. 

"Steak dinner sound good? I know a place here in Boston that's great. I should be able to get us a table if you don't mind eating a little late."

"Mmm, I love steak. I can be ready whenever you need me to be. Is the place fancy or anything? I have a dress that can be casual or a little dressy, but it will only go so far."

"Nah, nothing to worry about. It's a nice place but still pretty casual. Would 7:15 work or do you need some more time?

"That works, I don't need too long to get ready," you confirmed, now approaching your family.  
"Wait, it's almost 6 now. Do you have to go back and forth to Sudsbury?" you asked, worried he wasn't giving himself enough time.

Lowering his voice, he confided, "I'll let you in on a little secret, but you gotta sweah you won't tell anybody."

"I sweah," you said, mimicking his accent, and earning yourself a mock-angry look from Chris.

"I have a condo nearby. I use it when I'm in town for stadium games, or if I have friends visiting that need to be near the city. Beats driving far after seeing the Pats or Sox, and I don't have to worry about how many beahs I'm drinking. The paps don't know, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Serious now, you nodded, "Secret is safe with me, I promise."

He squeezed your hand, showing both his trust and thanks. Once everyone was together you caught the trolley back to the aquarium, then made the short walk back to the hotel. Everyone was a bit quiet, it had been a very fun but very long day. Chris had not been joking when he warned you by text to rest up. 

It was also one of the most amazing birthdays you ever had. Upon reaching the lobby, Chris said his goodbyes, exchanging hugs with Ryan and the kids. He gave you a kiss on the cheek this time and said he would see you soon. Your family took the elevator upstairs, the kids getting a second wind and talking non-stop about Chris. You smiled and nodded, thinking your own thoughts of Chris, eager to see him without the distractions of family around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter heavily influenced by the Dave Matthews Band song "Stay" which is featured in the chapter. 
> 
> All locations are real, I only took liberty with the locations to one another.


	6. Defying Gravity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris arrives to take Nicole on a town and has a few tricks up his sleeve. He also proves his character after learning of some disturbing events in her past.

Upon entering the hotel room after an extremely long day, everyone immediately found a soft flat surface to collapse upon.  You had a 2 bedroom suite to share and your brother went to rest in "the boys" bedroom.  Your nephew plopped himself on the couch, immediately reaching for the remote control to turn on the tv in the living room.  Your niece followed you into the other bedroom and jumped on the bed, then proceeded to squish herself into the pillows.

Against your better judgement you laid down on the bed. The day had been so full that you hadn't given yourself time to feel tired, but now that it was over exhaustion took hold.  You were getting too old for this shit.  Stretching yourself from the top of your fingers to the tips of your toes across the bed, you relished the feel of the fluffy comforter beneath you. Reaching into your pocket you pulled out your phone, setting an alarm for 10 minutes.  It was after 6pm already and Chris would be here in about an hour.  You still needed to shower and dress, but the bed....oh the bed, felt so wonderful right now.  You curled up into the fetal position next to your niece and closed your eyes, gathering strength for the rest of the evening.

The phone eventually chimed and you slowly sat upright  (alright the short nap may not have been the best idea) before heading off to the bathroom.  You felt fuzzy and shaky; the little rest not long enough to do more than tease your body into thinking it was done for the day.  You warmed up the shower while you stripped down, grabbed your toiletries, and proceeded to let the hot water melt away the tension and knots.  

You felt like a new person by the time you stepped out.

Instead of perfume you used Bath and Body Works lotion.  You dried your long dark brown hair enough to get the water out, but left it a little damp, then applied some frizz serum to it.  You received compliments all the time about how your hair naturally had that "Just rolled out of bed after some fun" look to it.  The waves always came in perfectly if you let it air dry a bit.  

You went a little stronger with the makeup since it was evening and an “actual” date this time, but still kept your overall look natural.  You swept grey eyeshadow in a few different hues across your eyelids, then applied black eyeliner and mascara.  You added a plum color onto your lips that was just a shade darker than your natural pigment.  A little enhancement here and there with concealer and blush. Not a lot, but enough to accentuate your features and make them stand out.

The dress you had brought was a cobalt blue color.  It was knee length, sleeveless and had a V-cut neckline with fabric that gathered just under your bust.  It accentuated your girls beautifully without being overly revealing.  From the empire waist it just swung down loosely giving you a lovely silhouette. You put on a pair of black strappy heels and then grabbed a soft black sweater in case you got cold.  Not knowing where you would end up for dinner you had chosen this dress because it would work for multiple settings.  It may have been an inexpensive find from Marshall's, but it made you feel like a million bucks.

You added a silver chain with a heart shaped pendant made of hand blown glass that had a blue and white design swirled inside of it; another great find, this one from a museum. Silver earrings that dangled a bit topped of your look. After all the preparation, you finally gave yourself a once over, taking time to smooth out your dress and give your boobs a quick lift. You ran a nervous hand through your hair, and thought to yourself, "You got this girl."

The knock on the door came as you were gathering up your purse and phone, and were replying to a few birthday texts and Facebook messages.  You heard Ryan greet Chris at the door with a, "Hey buddy, long time no see."  

Your niece raced out of the room to see him.  While you had been putting on your makeup and getting ready, she had been sitting on the closed toilet seat, plying you with questions about what you were doing tonight.  She was so excited that her Aunt was going on a date with Captain America.  You asked her to keep it to herself as much as she could, knowing that it was a lot to ask a 7 year old, but wanting to protect Chris' privacy.

You emerged from the bedroom with your head down, tucking your phone into your purse.  When you looked up it was to find Chris staring at you, eyes wide in appreciation at the sight.

"Wow....you look stunning Nicole. That color is gorgeous on you."  His eyes were drinking you in, it was unnerving but also addictive in a weird way.  You had fantasized about Chris looking at you like this, but having it happen in real life was completely surreal.

Seeing him in front of you all you could manage to say was "Thanks."  

You looked him over, wanting to pinch yourself to make sure this was real.  He was drop dead gorgeous at this moment and you couldn't stop yourself from letting your eyes roam from top to bottom and back again.  When you reached his face you realized you weren't as stealthy as you thought you were. 

Chris was looking a bit smug at getting checked out like that and you said the first thing that sprung to mind, "God, you look so handsome."

Chris was wearing tan slacks, a brown belt, and a buttoned down shirt in a soft blue.  His hair was brushed back Steve Rogers style. He had this kinda hot professor vibe, and the nerdy bookworm in you was lusting after the way he looked in this outfit (thank God he wasn't wearing glasses).

Ryan became a buzzkill at that point, deciding to start a game of 20 questions with your date, as if they hadn't just spent the last 2 days together!   

Arms folded across his chest you heard him ask, "So Chris, where are you planning on taking her tonight?"

"Ryan, what are you doing?" you scolded plaintively.  To your surprise, Chris answered.

"We're going to dinner at a restaurant near the Prudential Center," he said, apparently not offended to be questioned.

"And what time do you plan on bringing her back?" your pain in the ass brother asked.

"Ry!!!" you chastised, while once again hearing Chris answer his question.  

Were they for real?  You felt like you were watching a tennis match, head turning from one and then the other, amazed that these two assholes were actually discussing this.  You needed to shut this shit down immediately.

"Ahem, excuse me! I'm right here in case you didn't notice." Turning to address Chris you said, "Thank you for answering my brother, but you do not need to explain any other details of our evening, okay?"

Now turning your head the other way, hand on your hip, you looked at your brother.  He had dropped the crossed arm bit and was just leaning his butt into the top of the couch, waiting for his scolding.

"Hey listen, I'm not 20 anymore.  I'm a 34 year old woman capable of deciding who I date, where I go, and what I do while I'm out.  I know you're concerned. I get it, and I thank you for it.  But...he's not Mike.  I trust him Ryan.  I've known him for two days and he has proven his character to me countless times."  

You moved towards the couch then, giving your big brother a hug, “I'll be fine, I promise.  If we're still out and it's getting late I'll text you, okay?"

Your brother hugged you back and admitted, "I know you'll be fine, I just worry.  I'll always worry.  You're my favorite baby sister."  

Giving a small chuckle at his joke you said your usual response, "I'm your only sister, you jackass."

Releasing you with a kiss he said, "Have a great time okay? Enjoy yourself. Still got that can of mace I gave you?" he asked, staring down Chris with a twinkle in his eyes.   

You  said goodbye to the kids behind him who were on the couch, and were waiting patiently with lips pursed like kissy fishes for their Aunt.  They were so tired they couldn't even get off the couch to say goodbye to Chris.  He came over to give them hugs and kisses, thanking them for making today so much fun for him.  

Before you got too far Ryan got one more jab in, "Behave! And remember eyes open, knees shut."  

Chris immediately doubled over in laughter, grabbing his damn pec again.  You were too mortified to speak, did your brother really just say that shit to you in front of your date?! 

You looked at your brother, a disbelieving, serious expression and exclaimed, "Ryan! You're such an asshole!"  

Grabbing your sweater and purse from the table nearby, you turned to Chris, shaking your head and said, "Let's just go please,” talking with your hands to shoo away the embarrassment your brother just caused you.

Having regained his composure, Chris tilted his head, nodding his goodbyes to everyone and putting his hand on the small of your back, he started walking you to the door.

"Love you sis!" you heard Ryan yell out. 

"Love you more!" you shouted over your shoulder, waving your goodbye over your head, making sure he knew you weren't really mad at him.

Once the door was closed and you were walking down the hall, the absurdity of the whole scene between the men finally hit you both.  You ended up in the hallway, close to the elevators, leaning against the wall and laughing to almost tears together.

"What in the fuckity-fuck was that all about?" Chris asked once he could breathe again.

You were finally calming down as well. Pushing off the wall you continued your walk towards the elevator.  "Count your blessings that you weren't picking me up for a date at my parent's house.  This is nothing."

Entering the elevator together, thankfully alone, Chris looked at you with a furrowed brow.  "Not to pry but, what was that whole thing about a guy named Mike?  I mean, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but it seems like whatever it was kinda scared you guys."  He was speaking quietly, his voice had a concerned edge to it.

"Nah, it's fine, it's not top secret stuff."  You were fidgeting, wanting to tell him and also hating to discuss the topic.  You started running your hands through the ends of your hair and tapping your right foot out of nerves.  "So, when I was around 20, I went out on a date with this guy Mike.  I had known him casually for over a year and he worked in the pizza place across from a store I worked in. He was constantly asking me out, real pushy, but I had been dating the same guy for a few years, so I always turned him down.  After we broke up, Mike caught wind from a co-worker and called me on finally not having an excuse to say no.  He wore down my resistance. I said yes and we went out that Saturday night."

The elevator reached the ground floor, stepping out you followed Chris across the lobby towards the parking lot to his car. He could tell you were anxious about telling him the story and he very gently took your hand, matching his pace to yours.  He gave your hand a squeeze for you to continue. Taking a deep breath, you continued once you were outside and out of earshot from others.

"So, Saturday night comes, he picks me up, we go to the movies. No big deal.  Movie's getting towards the end and the guy literally jumps me in my seat.  Like on top of me, jamming his tongue down my throat and groping at me.  I gave him no physical contact before that, no sign that it was what I was looking for."  Giving a little chortle you added, "To this day I refer to him as Canyon Mouth because a giant black void is all I saw before he closed the gap to attack my face." 

Reaching the car, Chris opened your door and motioned for you to sit.  He went around to his side and got in, but didn't start the engine.  Instead he sat sideways, full attention on you, looking so serious and kinda angry that you weren't sure you should continue.  

He made the decision for you though by saying, "And then what happened Nicole?"

You looked towards him but didn't meet his eyes.  Focusing over his shoulder as you recalled the events of that night you continued. "So I push him off me, yelled at him.  The movie wasn't a very good one so the theater was almost empty. I remember being worried about disturbing the other guests.  He doesn't apologize, instead says he had been wanting to kiss me for so long he couldn't help himself."  Growing angry now yourself you paused to say "Fucking asshole," before continuing.  You started picking at your cuticles and nail polish.  "We leave the theater and get into his car.  He starts pawing at me again."  

Now you do look Chris in the eyes as you explain. "Keep in mind, this shit wouldn't fly now!  But then, I was young, I was naïve.  I had been in a relationship with a guy my age for over 3 years.  Never dated before him.  I didn't think a date would be like that y'know?  And I was scared, didn't know what the hell to do. He was older and he was a lot stronger than I was."  Turning to look down into your lap, you finished your story, feeling the energy change in the car as Chris was getting furious at this man he didn't even know. He had a hand resting on the steering wheel and was rapidly tapping his fingers upon it.

"I was able to talk him down, fought him off.  He still didn't think there was anything wrong with what he was doing.  He took me to a restaurant nearby for dinner.  Tried to go at me again, I came close to slapping him in the face, but got him to back off by yelling at him to stop, this was not going to happen.  We went inside for dinner and as we're sitting there I look at his face, reading his expression and his body language.  I tried to have a conversation with him about what he had been doing to me.  He started in again about how beautiful I was, how long he had waited for a chance to be with me.  How sexy I was, how much he had longed to touch me.  I realized then that if I got back in the car with him there was a very good chance I would end up getting raped.  The look on his face told me he fully intended to get what he wanted from me.  Even when we entered the restaurant, he came in behind me, purposely pushed in close so I could feel his erection press against me.  This is after our spat in the car which really got me upset. Apparently the fight was turning him on more.  I excused myself to go to the bathroom.  My nerves were so shot that I was on the verge of throwing up.  There was a payphone back there and I decided to call home.  This was before cell phones, early 90's.  I was so scared, I just needed to talk to someone, see what to do.  Ryan answered and before I could even finish telling him what was going on he asked where we were and told me not to go back to the table for a while, that he would be there soon to come get me.  The place was about 15 minutes away from my parent's house.  I waited almost 10 minutes and then Mike came to look for me.  He tried to put his arms around me, asking why I was taking so long. I told him I wasn't feeling good and had called for a ride.  He got upset, told me he had plans for us to hang out after dinner, maybe go back to his place for a movie.  There was no way in hell I was doing that and told him so.  We were walking back to the table when my brother came in, charging at us.  He pulled me against him in a hug, looked at Mike and threatened him within an inch of his life if he ever tried to so much as speak to me again.  We went home together, I cried the whole way, feeling so weak and stupid that I couldn't take care of myself, doubting that it had happened the way I thought, but knowing it did.  We never spoke again, he came in the store less and less, always with an attitude towards me.  I heard from the mutual friend that he referred to me as a frigid bitch and that after all that time the least I could do was kiss him."

You didn't want him getting the wrong idea about you, quickly adding, "I'm not a prude or anything, far from it.  But I didn't agree to go out with him because I was attracted to him.  It was kinda more to shut him up.  My first mistake was letting him force me into a date I didn't want go on to begin with."  

Looking back up at Chris you were surprised to see his fists balled up tight, body stiffened.  He looked like Steve Rogers about to punch out a Nazi.  Looking you directly in the eyes he finally spoke, slowly, accentuating his words.  All traces of humor now gone.

"If I ever see that asshole I will knock his fahkin teeth out!  I want to go back upstairs right now and shake your brother's hand because I would have done the same thing for my sisters.  I already liked Ryan, but now I respect the fuck out of him too.  No guy should evah do that to a girl, no guy has the RIGHT to expect that from a girl, and I'm sorry you had to go through it.  I'm proud that you were smart enough to see what could have been and acted on it.  You weren't stupid or weak.  Calling home took guts.  That was being strong and that was being smart.  I know we only met yesterday, but the fact that you're in this car with me after what you just told me, well, it means a lot.  Thank you for trusting me, and for sharing this with me." His voice had grown louder and louder as he spoke, clearly affected by your story and wanting to comfort you, but furious at the same time.

"You're welcome.  I do trust you Chris.  Honestly, I can't believe I only met you yesterday.  I kinda feel like I've known you for a long time.  Maybe it's from seeing you in the movies or something, who knows,"  you admitted to him, more than a bit puzzled at the sensation yourself.

"If I'm honest, I don't think that's it, because I feel the same way.  We have chemistry Nicole.  It's there or it's not, and for me at least it's there and it's strong.  I don't feel like we just met either."

You felt your heart beating a little off beat.  You instinctively diffused the situation with humor, not wanting things to get serious again.  "You're right about the chemistry.  And as for the trust thing, you're Captain Friggin' America.  You're a damn boy scout, am I right?"

The anger started leaving his body, his posture relaxing and a hint of a smile came into his face.

"C'mon, I have someplace I want to take you before we go to the restaurant, if that's okay.  A bit of a birthday surprise for you.  You game?" he asked, cocking his head to the left.  He was so adorable right now, stopping just short of giving you puppy eyes.  Who could resist that face?

"Abso-fuckin-lutely.  Let's go Jeeves!" you said clicking on your seatbelt and shaking the old history out of your head.  It had been a long time since you had spoken about that night, it was almost cathartic to get it out to someone outside of the family.  Chris' reaction surprised you, but it felt good too.  He was a stand-up guy and you liked seeing that protective side of him.

He pulled out of the parking lot and checked the time, "I'll have to drive a little fast to get where we need to be in time, but we'll make it.  And before you ask, no, I'm not telling you where we're going.  It's a surprise after all." He looked at you from the corner of his eye, winking at you and giving you a trademark smirk. 

It helped change the mood in the car to something more light hearted after how serious everything just was.

You were coming to a red light when Prince's "Let's go crazy" started playing over the speakers.  

Chris changed, suddenly growing solemn.  He looked down and started reciting the beginning.  " _ Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life... _ "

You knew you were in for it now, he was going to make sure you were smiling before you reached your destination.  Looking up slowly and straight ahead he continued, " _ Electric word life it means forever and that's a mighty long time, but I'm here to tell ya, _ " index finger now pointing at you, neck swerving he kept up the act, " _ There's something else....the afterworld _ ."

Hand now motioning around the car as you tried to suppress your laughter, " _ A world of never ending happiness, you can always see the sun... day or night _ ."

The light turned green and he began driving with his left hand on the steering wheel, right hand free to roam about the cabin.  He continued his concert, rocking his shoulders and punching his fists.  You finally gave up control and smiled at the idiot.  He was something else this guy, you gave a silent prayer that what he said about seeing you again wasn't just some line.  You would give anything to spend more time with him after this weekend.  But, for now, you could join in the fun and enjoy the hell out of the time you did have.  

You loved Prince and this was a song you knew by heart.  You joined him for the line: " _ If the elevator tries to break you down... go crazy... punch a higher floor _ !"  

It was carpool karaoke for the rest of the song.  

You both threw your arms up in the air like they were handcuffed to do the " _ Aahh Aahh, is all I heard _ " part. You were using the dashboard as a drum, both of you pointing and gyrating around, belting the song out to each other, " _ Oh no, let's go _ !" 

Two adults being total fools and loving it.  Chris performed an epic one handed air guitar solo, strumming against his stomach, while you danced around in your seat before grabbing your air mic to sing the backing vocals.

When the song was over Chris waved his arm around, snapped his finger for emphasis, then began pointing back and forth between you.

"I know you got that Journey song with ya family, but this right hea, this song, this is OURS now.  We killed that mutha fuckah!"  

God, how you loved when he used his natural accent.  You realized your face was starting to hurt from smiling so much today.

By the time you reached your destination, which turned out to be the Prudential Center, you were both laughing to tears, the emotional downer of before erased.  He came around to open your car door, taking your hand to help you out of the car.  With a hand on your back, Chris led you into the building, purchasing tickets for the Prudential Center Skywalk Observatory.   You rode the elevator to the 80th floor of the building which provided a stunning 360 degree view of the city below.  You ambled around the perimeter, gravitating towards the side where the last rays of the day were streaming in like gold.

"I wanted to come here before dinner so you could see the city both during daylight and at sunset," Chris explained, watching your face with anticipation.

Impressed at his forethought, you replied, "You certainly thought of everything Mr. Evans."  

He smiled, delighted that you were happy, and pointed to all of the places you had visited together that day.  Taking out your phone, you snapped a few shots of the locations before holding it up high to take a few selfies with the city behind you.  You even got Chris into one with Fenway Park behind him.  He took your hand and walked you over to a section where a lot of roadways met with a tall building in the middle.  The sun was beginning it's descent, lights were beginning to pop up around the city.

"I've heard this is the best place to watch the sunset.  I think we have about 5 minutes before it's in full swing.  Just enough time for this," he said, pulling a box out of his left pants pocket.

"For me?" you asked, accepting the box and smiling, genuinely surprised.

"A little birthday present.  I hope you like it." 

He was watching you with an expectant expression, ready to scrutinize your face when you opened the box. It didn’t take you long to open and soon you were plucking a silver bracelet from the cotton inside.  It was a set of 3 bangles, attached with a clip.  Each had a flat charm. They were a crescent moon, and 2 stars each of a different size.  One star had a small crystal in the middle, the other was plain hammered silver.

Immediately you placed the bracelets on your left wrist, then brought that hand to cover your heart.  You looked at Chris with eyes full of gratitude and happiness. Apparently, it's what he was looking for, because his expression changed from one of nervous anticipation to one of confidence again.

"Oh my God Chris, I love it!  When the hell did you get this though?" you asked, perplexed since you had been with him all day and hadn't seen anything like this. It was something you would have bought for yourself had you seen it.  Labels and brands meant nothing to you, something different and unique like this was right up your alley.

Scratching the back of his neck (you were finding this to be a nervous habit of his) he explained, "I found it at the museum gift shop today.  I stopped there after the restroom. Ya know, figured I'd avoid the winged assassins for a while longer."  

You cocked your neck to the side, giving him an "Oh come on!" expression.  

"When you said you wanted to stop at the gift shop on the way out I almost panicked.  It took every bit of my acting skills to keep redirecting you away from the jewelry area," he laughed, clearly amused at the memory and his cleverness.  "I saw these and thought they would be perfect for you.  Happy Birthday Nicole, I hope it was a good one."  

You couldn't stop looking at him, he looked so unbelievably beautiful right now.  How did you manage to end up here again?  

Finally breaking yourself out of stalker staring, you said, "They’re perfect and it's been one of the very best birthdays of my life." 

You quickly grabbed him, putting your arms tight around him for a hug, taking a second to snuggle your face into the crook of his neck.  Chris wrapped his arms tight around you too, and when you pulled away and attempted to plant a kiss on his cheek, he turned his face towards you and your lips met instead.

Neither of you pulled away, pressing your lips together deepening the kiss.  You felt your breath catch and then release as you nearly moaned at how amazing those lush soft lips felt against yours.  Your head swiveled from his right side to directly in front of him, faces then tilting automatically to give you both the best access to each other. Everything faded, it was just the two of you at the top of the world, electricity and desire. Chris had kept his left hand on your lower back, his right just below your shoulder blades, pressing you close against his body.  

Before you had a chance to deepen the kiss further you were startled, suddenly remembering where you were.  You reluctantly broke the contact, putting your face down onto his shoulder, lightly panting as you tried to slow down your heart beat.  

"Nic, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"No!  Oh God no, no need to apologize!" you said, lifting your head from his shoulder to look him in the eyes.  You realized his sudden concern could be guilt after hearing the story about Mike.

"I didn't stop because I wasn't enjoying it, ‘cause believe me I was," you said while nodding your head for emphasis, "I stopped because I just remembered we're in a public place.  The last thing you need is someone spotting you, taking a photo of you kissing some random girl at the top of the tower. I don't want to cause a scene or cause you any grief."

"Dammit I hadn't even thought of that.  I just, ah, well, I've been wanting to do that since I met you at the game yesterday.  It just felt like maybe it was the right time."  Chris was looking at you, a bit sheepishly with a slight blush in his cheeks. "When we're together I kinda get this feeling like there's no one else around, y'know?"

These were words that mirrored your own feelings and it was like a dream hearing them coming from him.  "Well... I've been wanting to kiss you since waaay before yesterday so trust me, I'm not complaining one bit."  You flushed like the little fangirl you were, surprised that you had just admitted that to him.

He seemed pleased with that answer however.  He had his hands pushed deep into his pants pockets, and motioned to you with his head to look outside,  "Look, the sunset is beginning."

The view took your breath away.  The sky above the skyscraper you were looking at was swathed in blues, purples, pinks and yellows.  The color patches were so big it looked like Bob Ross had just taken a brush and made big strokes across the night sky.  Lights were coming on all over the city now and the highways were all lit up. The city looked completely different at night.

"I am so happy you thought of this, it's such a beautiful view," you said while taking it all in. You took some slow steps until you reached the glass, feeling like you were walking on air.

Chris stepped up close behind, slightly to your left.  He wrapped his arms around your middle, holding you loosely.  He put his chin on your shoulder, planting a small kiss on the side of your neck and said, "It's not the only beautiful view around here, not even close."  

Jesus, this man was smooth! And that tiny kiss on the neck sent shivers coursing through you.  You should have worn granny panties for extra strength tonight.  Before you could bust his chops about being Rico Suave he surprised you by taking a deep sniff at you.

"Now what in the hell are you wearing?  I know it's not Coppertone this time."

Giggling you told him, "No, it's not.  It's Bath and Body Works, a scent called Vanilla Bean Noel.  I stock up on it every year."

"It fahkin’ delicious smelling is what it is!  It reminds me of Christmas. Cookies and cakes and mom's kitchen."  Closing his eyes, he took another big sniff,  "God damn! You smell so good I just wanna lick you."

Immediately you doubled over, hand over your mouth and laughing silently to not disturb the other guests or draw too much attention.  You looked at Chris with eyes opened wide with shock while still laughing.  He was also bent over, hands on his knees, chest convulsing as he tried to gather his composure.

"Oh! God, that did naught come out the way I meant."  He was blushing furiously.  

On the inside you were losing your mind at the compliments, the comments and the kiss.  You had seen the interview where he described his favorite smell as Christmas.  The fact that he just told you that you smelled like that to him made you very happy you chose lotion over perfume.

Calming down now he glanced and his watch and added, "Not to be a buzzkill, but we need to get going soon.  I have reservations at 8:30 for dinner, not too far away from here.  You ready to go or would you like more time?"

"No, I'm ready.  This day has just gotten better and better, can't wait to see what surprise you have for me next."

"I may have something up my sleeve, we'll see," he teased.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All locations in Boston are real, only geography has been tampered with.


	7. Someone Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris takes Nicole to a romantic birthday dinner complete with wining, dining, dancing and passion

After going downstairs to his car, Chris once again opened your door like the perfect gentlemen his mother raised him to be.  As promised, it was a short drive to the restaurant. He gave his keys to the valet and came to escort you out.  You were ushered to the second floor and seated at a private table in the corner. A reserved sign was removed by the waiter as you approached.  There were glass doors that opened to a lovely brick patio not far from your table, and you could see it was beautifully decorated with planters full of flowers and large silver heat lamps to keep away the chill.  The city was alive with lights all around you from this vantage point. Music was playing outside and there were couples dancing.

The inside of the restaurant was equally lovely and very romantic.  Most of it was candlelit, and the actual lights were soft and dim.  The décor was all in tones of creamy whites, gold, and soft rose pink.  There were soft hued multi-colored roses as the centerpiece, with votive candles lit on either side.  

You looked around, admiring the atmosphere, nodding your head as you took it all in.

"You did good kid, not too shabby," you remarked, giving Chris a quick wink of approval.

He gave a slow shake of his head, lips twisting to the side in a self deprecating smirk.  "Ah, I wish I could take the credit for this but, I have to give props to my assistant.  I was thinking about asking you all day...alright mayyyy-be even a little bit since last night, but I didn't grow the balls to ask until it was real late in the day.  There was no time for me to start calling around.  I asked him to find a place suitable for dinner with a beautiful woman on her birthday.  Oh, and a place that serves crème brulee!"

Excited now you exclaimed, "You didn't!  They do?! Wait, what made you look into crème brulee?"  You were in shock that he had been thinking about you last night and already planning to spend this extra time together.

Realizing he’d been caught, he threw his hands out on the table top, palms flat, raising his fingers up.  He gave you a sweet and shy smile while saying "Ahright, I may have asked your brother's advice on what you like so I knew where to take you.  But, believe me, if this place didn't serve it I woulda found someone to make it and then had it delivered.  My birthday girl gets her favorite dessert tonight, no matta what!"  He was adorably talking with his hands again, pointing his index finger on the "What." You felt so special right now, but to be honest, getting another taste of those lips would be more delectable than any dessert he could find you.

"I'm flattered you went through all the trouble for little old me.  You pleaseth the queen," you said with a swift nod of your head.

"As you wish my lady," he said to you for the second time today. 

The look he was giving you right now was straight up Steve Rogers in his full dress uniform and sitting in the bar in The First Avenger movie.  You could die a happy woman right here, right now.  Sexy, strong, kind of aw shucks, but confident. Slow sexy smile on those full lips.  Yeah, that is exactly what your birthday wish will be, those lips for for dessert.

Worshipping at the Altar of Evans was interrupted by your lovely waitress, Vivian, who came to introduce herself, then proceeded to give you wine recommendations and tonight's specials. You ordered a glass of what turned out to be one of the best wines you ever tasted and wondered if you could order a bottle to go; then made a mental note to look it up for purchase online.  Chris would normally be a beer drinker, but after taking a sip of the wine you had offered, he ended up having the same.

You ordered salads (thankfully staying away from the caesar salad full of garlic), and both ended up ordering the New York Strip Steak, one of the specials tonight.

From your table you could hear the music. Frank Sinatra's  "Just the Way You Look Tonight" began to play.  The song brought up a memory and you instantly chuckled and smiled remembering it.  Chris looked at you with a questioning raise of his brow.  Apparently you were already communicating without words. Not bad after only two days.  

"I love this song, I learned to dance the Foxtrot to it.  The second I hear it I remember getting my lessons and my feet start doing a box step."  

"You know how to Foxtrot?" he asked, looking at you with more interest now.  

You were still nodding your response as he got up from his seat, coming around to you with his hand outstretched.

"May I have the honor of this dance, m’lady?" he asked.  Looking up at that handsome face felt like being in a scene from a movie right now.

"The honor would be all mine, Captain."

You took his hand and he walked you to the outside patio.  He took your right hand, enveloping it in his large warm left.  He placed his right hand on your waist and immediately began a box step.  You counted for a moment in your head, as it had been a long time since you had danced. Back, slide, together, forward, slide together.  Once you had your rhythm down, Chris pulled out all the stops.  He was a wonderful lead as you went from box step to promenade.  

He spun you out and pulled you back in, tucking you close under his arm before turning you out again.  The master even dipped you, looking deep into your eyes as he brought you back up, waiting a moment before turning his head to move into another promenade.  Your favorite moment though, the one you would never forget, was when the part came on where he sings, " _And that laugh, that wrinkles your nose, it touches my foolish heart_."  

Chris had pulled you close at that moment, giving you an eskimo kiss.  

Fucking. Magic.

When the song was over and the bubble around you faded you realized you were hearing claps.  Turns out there were a few couples out there that had been watching the little showcase and they apparently approved.  You could almost see the cartoon hearts coming out of the women's eyes.  Chris looked around and then back at you, before you both launched into a fit of giggles, shoulders shaking.  You looked around again with a shy grin on your face and decided to just go with it.  You gave a quick curtsy, sending Chris into another fit of laughter.

Composure regained, you saw him look over your shoulder towards the table,  "Looks like they brought the salads out, but.... that was so much fun!"  Giving you a devilish smile he asked, "Do you have it in you to go another round?"

Okay, so that comment coupled with that look sent your mind racing straight to the gutter.  But you reminded yourself to be a lady, dammit! Keep your cool!  Internally you were screaming, "Yes, Yes Yes!" like Meg Ryan at the diner.  

Outwardly, you just put on a polite smile and said, "I would love that,"  earning you a quick spin from Chris as he swept you off your feet, in more ways than one.

The next song had already begun, Van Morrison's "Someone Like You."  

As Chris began leading you around once again, swaying to the music, you realized this was the perfect example of the saying, "Things happen for a reason."  You had taken lessons that felt like they were for nothing because you never got to put your skills to use. Now, you realized maybe it was all to bring you to this moment.  

As he spun and dipped and pulled you close, you realized just how hard you were falling, and how fate had finally brought you a man to dance with.  Could you be lucky enough that it would turn out to be Chris Evans?  To  _ every _ God you prayed and hoped so.

The words of the song caught your attention and you realized how poignant they were. A hint of a smile came across your lips as you began to imagine what a beautiful wedding song this would be.

When the song ended you stayed on the dance floor for a few moments more, just a little breathless.  Your foreheads were together, and you were both wearing soft, content smiles.

"Guess we better get back before they give away our table." he said softly, but didn't move an inch.

"If we must," you answered with a sigh.

"You're a wonderful dancer."

"I'm so out of practice, so maybe just about an average dancer right now."

Taking your chin into his left hand, he looked down at you through those thick lashes and whispered, "Trust me, there is nothing average about you Nicole."  He planted a brief, but full, kiss on your lips before reluctantly pulling away, taking your hand to return inside.

After arriving back at the table, you immediately snatched up your water glass and took a deep drink, using your other hand to twist your hair up and off your neck.  You were still holding it up when you put down your glass, using your now free hand to fan yourself.  Chris was across the table, looking at you mesmerized.  He chuckled when you gave him a questioning look.

"Hmph, didn't know I could make you so hot," said Chris, wiggling his eyebrows lasciviously. 

Instead of getting flustered you played along with his new game.

"Oh baby...you have nooo idea just how hot," rolling your eyes towards the ceiling before closing them.

When you opened your eyes you caught him sneaking a peek at your cleavage. You decided to call him on it.   

"See something you like?" you asked, flirtatiously taking a deep breath to pop the girls out a little more.

"The problem's more not seeing anything I don't like," he said, tipping his head down briefly then looking back up at you through those curtains he called lashes.  That was it, game over, he won.  You let down your hair and put your head down in defeat. Picking up your wine glass, you relished another few sips of the sweet nectar.

"So, where did you learn to dance like that?" you asked, changing the subject to something more suitable for the dinner table as the waitress came by to check on your progress.  You placed your napkin in your lap and picked up your fork, spearing the salad in front of you.  You hadn't realized just how hungry you were until you got that first bite in.  

Chris was also attacking his salad with gusto and smiled. 

"My mom was a dance teacher and she gave all us kids lessons.  I can tap dance too!" he said with a grin that made him look like a little kid.

"You'll have to show me that sometime.  I think I saw you do it a little in a movie once, but a freestyle tap dance would be something to see."

"What about you?  Most people I've met don't have a clue how to do those kinds of dances. You followed my lead like we've been doing this forever."

Finishing your wine, you placed your glass back on the table, folding your arms on it as well as you explained, "Well, a few years ago I had a friend who was getting married, and she was a bit of a bridezilla.  She insisted the entire wedding party attend lessons at Arthur Murray so we could look presentable when we joined the couple on the floor after their first dance."

"Are you serious?" Chris asked, amused and perplexed that anyone would demand such a thing.

"As a heart attack.  The cool thing is once I tried it, I loved it.  There was a 2 for 1 special running, so one of the girls and I kept going for close to 2 years.  We learned all the ballroom dance styles.  Downside is, like you said, no one our age has a clue how to do them."  

You stopped, pausing to think for a second before continuing with a chuckle, "This is the first time I've danced a Fox Trot with someone other than an instructor or my dad."

The wonderful waitress came over to pour more of the wine.  God bless her.  When she walked away you both had another sip and Chris returned his attention to you.

Leaning forward with a conspiratorial look he said, "Well, we'll just have to make it a regular thing now, won't we?  I won't lie, it was the first time I've gotten applause on a dance floor.  I mean, other than when I give a quick shake in front of the fans at panels and whatnot. But this is different, they had no idea who I was and were applauding because they loved how we moved together."

Letting himself lean back into his chair now he confessed, "It felt pretty awesome.  I can't wait to tell my mom! She'll be so happy I found someone to make all those years of training worthwhile."  He then went back to his dinner, finishing up the last of his salad.

For at least the sixth time today you heard something not only in his comment, but in his tone, that made you feel like there was something more here than just flirtation.  He had said earlier that he wanted to see you after this weekend, but you didn't really put stock in that.  He was a movie star and about to start filming one of the biggest movies of his career.  This was a man that had the world at his beck and call, and was constantly surrounded by beyond beautiful women.   

Yet, just the way he looked at you, the way he spoke, how he touched you....

It felt like you were the only woman that mattered at that moment. It could all be an act, but that little inner voice that you had learned to listen to was telling you it wasn't.  Something was brewing here, you just had to be open to it and let the universe do it's magic.  Still, you were a grown woman, not some silly star struck girl, and if this did continue it would be on your terms as well as his.  His celebrity didn't change that fact one bit.

Swallowing the last bite of your salad, you pointed your fork at Chris, "You sure you want to do that?  I've heard about your mom, you may come to regret confessing this."

Chris shook his head, "Nah, she's waited long enough to see me dance with someone outside of the family or in a movie.  She's earned it."

The staff arrived to clear the salad plates and it gave you a moment to ruminate on his last sentence. See him dance with someone....and just when the hell was she going to see him dance with you?  Were you being secretly filmed or something? Before you could stop yourself, your brain shot out the question.

"And when would she see that happen?  Do you have cameras hidden in here or something?" you asked, looking around and jokingly giving a little wave at the corners of the room.

Chris laughed, touching his pec (it never gets old),  "Stop it, you're not on Candid Camera or anything!  I was kinda hoping you would want to come back to Bahston at some point.  I mean, I'll be heading out of here in a few days, and the filming schedule is going to be pretty hectic, but I get back here every chance I get.  Maybe you can come up next time I have a break?"

Wow, okay, that little voice was onto something.  He was  _ actually _ serious about this.  You wanted to do cartwheels around the restaurant, but managed to contain your excitement by pressing your fingers into the table until they were nearly white. 

"I would love that. It may have to be worked around a weekend but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Chris gave a quick nod of his head (you could almost hear the "Nailed it" in his brain) and looked up to greet the waitress as she came around with your main course.  God, it smelled delicious!  Big juicy steak that was perfectly seared. Served with french green beans with slivered garlic, thinly sliced sautéed onions and red peppers, and baby red potatoes with rosemary.  

It was a visual feast for the eyes, and you couldn't wait to dive in.

Deftly cutting into his steak, he gave the knife a quick dab in the air saying, "I'm holding you to it.  I'll give you a heads up on the timing as early as I can and give you time to plan."

You were silent for a little while, both enjoying the flavors of your dinner.  Neither of you had eaten much throughout the day, just small meals and snacks.  You made small talk as you ate, mainly about how good everything was, but the focus was definitely on eating for a while.  When the meal was nearly finished, you spoke up and asked a question that needed to be answered.

"Can I ask you something?" you queried in between the last of your bites.

Chris paused eating and his face continued looking down at his plate.  It seemed like he was bracing himself and then he replied, "Shoot."

You took a deep breath and then let it out as you asked, "Is Sebastian Stan really as sweet and fun and...genuine as he seems?"

He let his body fall forward a bit as he guffawed, shaking his shoulders, then looking up at you with an incredulous smile on his face.

"Wha..... seriously?  That's what you want to ask me?  I was prepared to hear...never mind. Yes! He is a beautiful human being.  One of the nicest, funniest, most endearing people I have ever had the pleasure to meet."   Pausing, he cocked his head to the side and gave you a mock-stern look,  "Why do you want to know?  Are you crushing on Seb or something?"

Flustered by the question because, well you kinda were, you tried to be as smooth as your face would allow.  "It's just...research...for a friend...Dani.  She knew I was coming to meet you this weekend and she's a huge fan of his.  She would kill me if I didn't get some details for her. That's all."  You shrugged your shoulders, giving your head a quick shake, trying to play it off.  

It was true about the friend, but you also adored that little cinnamon roll.

Apparently pleased with your response, Chris filled you in on how much he adored Sebastian and some of the funny moments they've had on set.  You just listened to him talk (that voice could read a phone book and be sexy as hell), enjoying the way his face lit up, and the way he laughed through his sentences as he regaled you with funny anecdotes and stories about his friend.

The dishes were cleared away and the waitress reappeared, this time to check on dessert opinions.  Chris ordered before she could even run through the night's specials.

"We'll both be having the crème brulee tonight.  I hear it's wonderful," he added, while giving you a subtle wink.

Vivian also took an order for two cappuccinos and thanked you as she hurried off.

You added your thoughts about Sebastian. "What amazes me is how many people don't realize who he is yet.  I think it's because he's so different in every role. A true chameleon.  His entire look, body, acting...he completely immerses himself to become that character.  Just look at the two from last year.  He went from that sweet role in ‘The Martian’ to cocky mother fucker Lance Tucker.  It's unreal!"

Chris almost did a spit take, covering his mouth to keep the sound of his laughter from escaping,  "Cocky mutha...oh my god, that's fucking gold right there!  I am soooo torturing him with a text about this conversation tomorrow."

Delighted to know Seb would hear about you made you chortle,  "Tell him Nicole, and Dani from South Carolina said hello, and to keep the Instagram posts coming."

Apparently the wine was having an affect on you.  You couldn't stop smiling and giving quick giggles. It was probably a good thing you’d ordered a cappuccino.  Chris smiled and was enjoying the playful mood you were in.

He gave a look of feigned indignance, "So you just told me how diverse my friend is, but what about me?  Am I just some cookie cutter actor?

You batted your hand around, "Pfft...no my dear. You are  _ very _ diverse.  You can rock a wig and facial hair like no one else."  You stopped for a moment to ponder, then added, "Except maybe for Hemsworth and Hiddleston. They both do good with wigs.  Yeah, you're good too."  You realized then that maybe you were a liiiitttle bit tipsy.  Time to switch to water.

He smacked his palms down lightly on the table top, pushing back in his chair for emphasis. Pointing at your face from across the table he added, "Listen you little smart ass, I can act just as well as Seb, and I am more than my facial hair."

Conceding, you nodded, throwing your hands up by your shoulders in defeat.  "I never said you were anything less than Seb, YOU said that.  As for your facial hair, it really does change your entire look.  It's quite remarkable actually."

"Go on..." he gestured to you, leaning back and relaxing his posture again.

"It's almost like seeing two completely different men, like brothers instead of the same guy.  With the beard you're Chris Evans, just a normal, regular guy going about his life. It's how I've gotten used to seeing you in your everyday photos." 

You paused, thinking how to phrase the rest.  You looked down at the table as you spoke thinking about his face because you couldn't say this if you were looking at it.

"When you're shaved, like you are right now, you morph into this gorgeous leading man.  The beard helps you blend into the crowd. You're still handsome as hell, don't get me wrong, but it's different.  Like this though, it's out there in all it's glory. The strong jaw line, those adorable fuckin' freckles, those eyes, those LIPS, your face is just perfection.  There's no hiding it when you're shaved."  

Well shit, so much for holding back and not letting him know what you really think about him.  Damn wonderful wine! 

Holy shit, where the hell was that coffee you’d ordered?

"Um, wow, I'm gonna need a minute to soak all that in," Chris finally responded.  His face was positively crimson right now.  You both ended up with your elbows on the table, heads in hand, and laughing softly at yourselves.

"I'm sooo sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you Chris.  This wine is giving me loose lips."

"Can I tell you a secret?  I could have let my beard grow in for a few days, but I shaved this morning because you seemed to like this look so much.  So ogle away, but don't look too close or the façade may crack and you'll see I'm not so perfect."

You drank in the information, biting your lip as you smiled, tickled that he would even think to do that just for you.  "I don't think it's a façade Chris.  I knew coming to meet you that I would like you.  I've seen enough interviews and stuff to know that much.  But you're not exactly what I expected. In fact, you're actually better."

You looked at each other then and just enjoyed the romantic moment.  

Dessert and the cappuccinos arrived. Your crème brulee had a lit birthday candle in the center .  It was exactly the way you loved it, with a low flat ramekin that made it a creamy custard, instead of the small thick kind that made the dessert more of a pudding.  Being a fancier restaurant there was no singing wait staff (which was great because you hated being the center of attention) and the waiter quietly wished you a happy birthday before leaving.

Turning your attention towards the handsome man across the table, you looked down as you felt his hand take yours.  He held it gently, softly passing his thumb over the back of your hand. You locked eyes and he began to softly sing you "Happy Birthday" just loud enough for you to hear, but no one else.  It was one of the most romantic and beautiful moments of your life.  You had tears in your eyes by the time he finished.  

Chris smiled at you and said,  "Make a wish."

Your brain flashed back to the end of Sixteen Candles when Jake Ryan said the exact same thing to Samantha.  Her next line was, "But what if it already came true?"  Your sentiments exactly. You flashed Chris a smile that took over your whole face and then blew out the candle.

You ate your desserts in silence, cracking your spoons through the hard sugar shell and enjoying the warm creaminess underneath.  You let out a low moan because it was that good.  You heard Chris give a quick titter across the table, apparently hearing it.  He was lost in the ecstasy of it too, not missing a piece, swiping every last bit up with his spoon.

"Oh my God that was wonderful!" you said, doing a little happy dance in your chair.

Chris flashed you a boyish smile after seeing your little wiggle.  "Alright my birthday girl, where to next?  Are you done for the night or do you want to spend more time with this non-bearded dork?"

"Hmm..." you pretended to be contemplating your choices, as if there really was one.  You tapped the fingers of your left hand against your lips, resting the elbow on the right arm that crossed your body.  "It's been a reeeeelllly long day."

You saw Chris squirm a bit, sitting up straighter, not sure if you were joking or being serious.

"I should probably hang out with you as late as I can and make my brother drive tomorrow.  I can sleep this off on the car ride home."

Beaming, Chris motioned the waitress for the check, thanking her for the wonderful service. You excused yourself to go to the ladies room and brought your purse to freshen up a bit.  You weren't sure what else was in store for the evening, but you had no intention of leaving Boston without thoroughly enjoying some more of those lips.  You popped a mint into your mouth before heading back to your table. A girl's gotta be prepared!

You walked hand in hand with Chris down the staircase to the main floor of the restaurant, and waited beside him for the Valet to bring the car around.  He kept his hand on the small of your back the whole time until he was able to usher you into the car.

As he drove "Love My Way" by the Psychedelic Furs came on.  You listened to the beginning of it, letting the seductive melody wash over you, closing your eyes and smiling to yourself.  

Chris looked over and whispered, "What's got you smiling like that?"

Still with your eyes closed you asked, "Have you ever experienced when a song turns you into a time traveler?  You hear a few notes and you're instantly transported back to a moment in your life?  All five senses engaged, you can recall the feelings, the smells, even what you were thinking.  For just a few seconds you're right back there again?"

"Yeah, all the time actually.  What does this song bring you back to?"

You opened your eyes and turned to look at him, "Now.  For the rest of my life when I hear this song I’ll return to this car. This moment, right now.  I'll remember the warmth of your hand as it's holding mine on the console.  The electricity I'm feeling through my entire body caused by your thumb slowly stroking my fingers.  The intoxicating scent of your cologne, which will become it's own trigger. I'll remember the way you looked at me during dinner and how beautiful you made me feel. Like the was the only woman in the world.  I'll remember the butterflies I felt this weekend around you.  How astonished I was when you asked to spend today with me.  My eyes will well up with tears, the way they're doing now, as I remember how I didn't want this to end.  How unbelievable you are inside and out.  I've had so many fantasies about you, but none of them compare with the real you."

As you were speaking Chris kept taking furtive glances your way, having to also concentrate on the road, but obviously greatly affected by your words.  You could see his breath was coming in faster and how his chest puffed up as you went on.  The few times he was able to lock eyes with you there was obvious passion there and his eyes seemed shades darker than usual.  He was licking his lips and looking around the roadway in between his glances at you.  

You saw his neck straighten up as he spotted what he was looking for up on the right side of the roadway.  There was a deserted gas station up ahead that was dark and empty.  When his car was close enough he yanked the steering wheel, quickly pulling the car into the lot and drove along to the back area, out of sight of any passing cars.

And that was how you found yourself getting your birthday wish after all...making out furiously in the car with Chris Evans.  

You couldn't wait for the next song.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My writing is heavily influenced by music, this chapter mentions the songs Just the Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra and Someone Like You by Van Morrison, Love My Way by the Psychedelic Furs (which was the first song to ever inspire an entire scene with words and all the way you read it in this chap). I also had Blake Shelton's My Eyes on heavy rotation during the writing of this chapter


	8. Love My Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole spend some quality time getting to know each other after dinner

Chris brought the car to a stop, slamming the gear shift into park.  He turned towards you, eyes darkened with a passion that mirrored yours, and within a second you had your seatbelts off and were meeting each other's lips over the console.  Chris brought his right hand to the back of your head, his left hand got busy caressing your face, holding it firmly yet gently in his large palm.  You parted your lips and granted him entry.  You heard his breath come in heavy with relief as he claimed your mouth.  

His left hand moved up into your hair, bunching it up in his palm before gently moving it to cradle your face once again.  Fingers pressed together but his thumb held apart, he felt his way down your face, letting that thumb ghost over your cheek, then your neck.  The entire time your mouths were devouring each other, tongues battling for control of the kiss, smiling when the other gained the upper hand.  Keeping his fingers on your shoulder, his thumb pressed down dipping just below your clavicle.  Feeling Chris' touches just inches away from your breast set you on fire.

You moaned into his mouth and grabbed his face with both hands, leaning back and pulling him further towards your side of the car.  He groaned at your aggressive move, clearly enjoying it as he lay almost on top of you. His phone rang and without skipping a beat, he removed his left hand from your body and groped over to where it was resting on the dash, pressing the Volume Down button to silence the intrusion.

He returned his hand to you, starting at your shoulder this time, and running his hand down your arm.  He teased you by running his thumb along the side of your breast, still not really touching it.  Anticipation built and you could feel throbbing throughout your body, heat building as your need grew. You couldn't take it anymore, he was driving you wild and you needed him to touch you. You grasped his left hand, placing your hand on top of his, and  guided it towards your breast, only letting go when you heard him moan and felt his palm cup you.  He began kneading it, taking the plump fullness into his palm, making your breath hitch and your body squirm in it's seat.

He removed his hand, running it back up your arm, splaying his fingers across your collarbone and moving it towards your other breast when his phone rang again.  Stopping the kiss and panting deeply, he brought his forehead down to meet yours. In between his breaths he said, "Fuck... Me!"  He reached over for the offensive phone and started muttering when he looked at the caller id.   He began to apologize, saying a few words at a time as he struggled to control his breathing. "I'm sooo sorry.  I have to take this.  She'll just keep calling if I don't. I swear I want to kill her right now."

He pressed the green answer button, "Hi Mom."   You let your head collapse backwards, who knew Lisa was such a cock blocker?  You worked on regaining control of your own breath, focusing on slowing down your racing heart and cooling your loins.  It had been a looong time since someone had turned you on like this, so maybe the interruption wasn't such a bad idea.  It would give you time to think about what your next move should be.  You pushed yourself back upright, resting your elbow on the window, and cocked your head into your hand so you could watch Chris.  You tittered to yourself a little when you saw how fogged up the car was, the image of you guys being a pair of horny teenagers bringing a coy smile to your lips.  He was looking at the ceiling as he listened, slumped back into the driver seat.  He gave a large sigh, resting his head in his hand as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm fine.  Nothing's the matter.  What?  No... why would I be exercising at this time of night?"   He looked over at you, shaking his head incredulously.  You brought your hand up to your mouth to stifle the sound of your laughter at his expression.

You realized you were squirming in the seat, still a little too turned on for your own good. You were shifting yourself around, trying to remove pressure from certain, ahem, areas.  Chris raised an eyebrow at you, silently questioning what you were up to with his hand gesturing, palm raising up.

You looked at him with your eyes squinted, feigning annoyance.  You pointed down at your crotch and mouthed to him, "Girlie blue balls."

He clapped his hand over his mouth to try and suppress his laughter but it was a moment too late, a bark of it escaping before he could stop himself and Lisa apparently questioning him about what was so funny.

"Nuthin, ma.  It's Nicole, she's with me now and she's being a PAIN in the ASS!"  Now your expression changed to mock anger, balling your hand into a fist and punching it into the palm of the other.  It set him off again.  God, that laugh was the best.  You had a fleeting thought that every time Chris Evans laughs, an angel gets it wings.  There were a lot of angels, thanks to this dork.  You turned back into his conversation.

"Stop! She knows I'm kidding.  Trust me, this girl is just like us, a real ball buster.  She can handle it. What?  Nah, it's fine.  What d'ya mean why did I answer?  You called twice!  You know damn well you wouldn't have stopped there."  His voice was raised, obviously annoyed.

"I'm sorry... sorry.  It's just...your timing is fucking impeccable Ma." He said with a resigned sigh.

"Yeah, dinner was amazing.  We danced!"  His face lit up now, growing animated again.

"The freaking Fox Trot!  I know right!  She took ballroom dance lessons, knows 'em all.  You should see us move togethah, you'd be so proud.  We got applause Ma, applause!  I'm not shitting ya.  We were that good!"  He looked over at you smiling like a little kid, delighted to impress his mom and soaking in her praise.

"What's that?  Oh, hold on,"  Pulling the phone away from his mouth for a second he turned to you and said, "Mom says 'Hi.'"

You snorted, this was not what you expected to be doing right now but it was still wonderful.  You loved seeing this side of Chris.  You called out loudly, "Hello Mrs. Evans!"

"Did you hear that Ma? What?  I'll tell her."  Turning to look at you again, "She said to stop with the Mrs. Evans shit.  Call her Lisa."

First named basis with Chris Evans mom already and you hadn't even met the lady, not too shabby Nicole, not too shabby.

Giggling you yelled over again, "Hi Lisa!"  You found this entire scenario quite amusing and couldn't stop smiling at him. God he was beautiful.  Could you ever get tired of looking at him?

Nodding to the phone, he turned to you again, "She said much better." before returning his attention to the voice on the phone.

"Yeah, today's been a blast.  I can't wait to tell you all about it... TOMORROW.  I know.....Yes....I agree....(raising his eyebrows in thought) even better actually.....(with a slightly surprised look on his face) Yeah, I know! (with a quick shake of his head)  I know, Ma, you're always right about this stuff."

He looked at you, putting his index finger up to show it would only be another minute while he nodded, still listening to his mother.  

You couldn't hear her words clearly, but knowing they were discussing you was driving you crazy. The interruption was actually kind of a good thing.  You had allowed yourself to get so swept up in the moment that you never had a chance to think about what was happening here. You were not a girl who jumped into bed with a guy, it just wasn't your style, even with Chris Evans.  But God, did he have an affect on you, awakening things you hadn't felt in years. Lisa calling gave you a chance to weigh your choices.

When you were a teen you had come up with the idea of a mental scale to help you make decisions.  On one side, "Will I regret doing this?" on the other, "Will I regret NOT doing this?"  You prided yourself on not having many regrets at your age because of this system.  Now you just had to figure out how far you were comfortable going with Chris, and which side of the scale was winning, your brain was moving in rapid fire at this point but you still kept one ear on his conversation, hoping to pick up some intel.

"Don't worry, I plan to.  Tomorrow.  I don't know yet.  Would you stahp!  Mom, I love you, but I really need to go.  I'm kinda on a date here remember.  I promise I will see you tomorrow, okay?"

He turned to you, raising his brows with an expression close to an apology.  

Handing you the phone he said, "Mom wants to talk to you, Nicole."

Alrighty then, what fresh hell was this now? You had no idea what this was going to be about, your high suddenly replaced by anxiety as you took the phone from him, nervously saying "Hello?" to the most important woman in Chris’ life.

"Hi Nicole.  I just wanted to say how sorry I am to have interrupted your date. I've just been so excited to hear about everything today and I hadn't heard from him since this afternoon.  I'll let you two get on with it, but I wanted to wish you a very Happy Birthday.  Did you have fun today?"

You were stunned.  How much had Chris told this woman about you?  You replied, "Thank you Lisa, that's very sweet of you. Today's been a dream.  You're son is just.....amazing.  You did such a great job raising him."

"Aw, aren't you sweet?  I won't keep you any longer.  Please tell Chris I'll speak with him tomorrow.  I hope to meet you soon, enjoy the rest of your evening dear and safe travels tomorrow."

"Thanks, you as well." With that the call ended, and you were handing the phone back to Chris, pondering her comment about meeting you soon. You had a strange feeling there was more to their conversation last night than he was letting on, but before you had a chance to begin some interrogation Chris began one of his own.

"So, um, what do you want to do now?"  Looking at the time on the dashboard he noted, "It's not too late, we can drive somewhere and talk or whatever."  He then added while looking around the car, his hand suddenly wanting to play with the switch on the ceiling, "Or we could go to my condo if you want."

And there it was.  The question you wondered if you would hear, and now had to make the decision about. You dipped your head, then looked around the car yourself, trying to figure out the best way to discuss the matter.

"Well, I know I'm definitely not ready to leave you.  It's only around 11.  Ryan can drive tomorrow if I'm tired from a late night out."

"So then the question is, where to?"  He asked this quietly, not pressuring you at all, but you could tell he wanted to continue what had started earlier.  This parking lot was just no longer the place to do it.

"Maybe we can drive somewhere?  Walk around a bit?"  You saw Chris nodding his head, eyes turned down.  You wanted to address the elephant in the room so there would be no confusion between you.

"Hey, listen, I know you mentioned your condo but,.."  you stopped to give a large sigh before continuing.

"But," he repeated, eyebrows going up as he waited to hear your reasoning.

"But... I know if I go there I'm gonna do something that I'll regret by the morning.  I'm not the kind of girl who can sleep with a guy she just met yesterday, even if that guy is YOU. And as turned on as I am right now, I don't just think, dammit I KNOW, that I wouldn't be able to stop myself."

You were getting upset. Your body, and to honest the fangirl in you, were fighting your logical side for control.  You could just hear the collective screams of thousands of girls yelling "No!!!" in your head.

Noticing your mood change Chris jumped in, pulling your face up with a finger to your chin.  "Hey, hey, I honestly just threw it out there... hell, I'm a guy.  Guy's gotta try right?" He said, ending with a self deprecating smile.  "I have no agenda tonight, zero expectations.  To be honest, knowing you I would have been surprised to hear a yes."

Still concerned you had upset him or ruined everything you shyly asked, "Are you mad?"

His face looked serious, thoughtful. "Am I mad? Am I mad that you're treating me the same you would ANY other guy you just met? Am I mad that you aren't using me because I'm some actor you had a chance to fuck and brag about? Am I mad that you have such strong principles? Are you serious?"  Looking incredulous now he looked you straight in the eyes.  "You are so unlike any other girl I've met in such a long time.  I didn't think they still made women like you.  I'm so happy to be wrong."

Giving you a look that bordered on a smolder he added, "But I am, by far, not through with you tonight Nicole."  You gulped so hard you couldn't even speak, just gave a quick nod.

When you could speak again you added, "If it's any consolation, if you were serious about seeing me again then there's always a next time."  You gave him a look you hoped was a sexy as you felt in that moment.

"I said it and I meant it. You're not getting rid of me that quickly babe."

Chris turned around in his seat, looking at the road, getting his bearings. "I think I know a place we can go, not too far from here.  It's safe, even this late, and it's a nice walk along the water."  You nodded your approval.  He put the car into gear and pulled back onto the roadway.

Neither of you spoke on the ride this time.  You left Chris to his internal musings while you contemplated your options.  How many times over the last 2 years had you fantasized about this man?  You would be walking into a room or a bar, he would be sitting there alone, looking bored and sullen.  Then he would look up and see you, his head making a double take and posture straightening as your eyes met.  The air would be palpable.  The next scene always had you with your back or your cheek pressed against a wall, Chris pounding into you until you screamed in ecstasy.  But in reality, with age you realized you were a old fashioned girl who needed a deeper connection before jumping on a guy.  Or maybe you were just a big ole chicken shit.  Either way you were going to have to check the calibration on that scale of yours.

The car pulled up to a spot a few minutes later.  You were at an area where there was a walking/jogging trail along the river that was lined with benches.  There were pretty pergolas covered in little blue Christmas lights that twinkled as they reflected on the water.  Chris got out of the car and came around for you just as you were getting your legs out.  Hand in hand, you made your way down to the path.

"What time do you leave tomorrow?" Chris asked, casually bumping into you.

"Ferry leaves at 3:15.  We need to be on the road by 11:30 to catch it. What are you doing the rest of the week?  Do you have to report for your movie soon?"

"Yeah, but not 'til next Tuesday, after the holiday.  I have the rest of the week home."

"You'll have time to get all scruffy again, no need to stay dolphin smooth if you're not filming."  you teased.

He barked out a laugh, scratching at his face, probably a habit he was used to from sporting the beard so often.

"Yeah well, with you out of the picture I can get back to being lazy and let this shit grow in for the week."

Being late on a Sunday night, you had the place to yourselves.  Free of prying eyes, Chris was able to relax and hold your hand and put his arm around your shoulder. You meandered about, following the pathway along the water. You were glad you took your sweater since there a slight chill in the air, but Chris' body heat and your own desire helped keep it at bay.

For the next hour or so you discussed topics so wide and diverse you doubted you'd even remember them all by the morning.  You shared favorite childhood memories and family pets you'd had while growing up.  Theories about Aliens, Area 51 and the Montauk Project. You compared sibling dynamics, and even though you had not met her, you already wanted to give Shanna a big hug for putting up with Chris.  There were discussions about ghosts, religion, favorite John Hughes movies (this one ended abruptly when Chris realized he wasn't going to win.  You would love Jake Ryan till your dying day). 

You also had deeper conversations, and described your regret scale to him. He admitted, "One of my biggest fears is having regrets when I get old.  That scale of yours actually makes a lot of sense, I wish I'd a thought of it.  I'm definitely stealing it though."

You found yourselves sitting on a bench, stargazing and pointing, being space nerds again, as you compared constellations and talked about the old mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon." 

You were snuggled into the nook of his shoulder and neck, head resting gently on his shoulder. Chris was lightly passing his hand over the arms of your sweater, teasing, "You're so fluffy." You were so comfortable and relaxed in that moment.

"Hey, do you want to play a game?" you asked, lifting your eyes skyward, only moving your head slightly towards his face.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Let's see how many songs we can name that have a title dealing with space?  For example, Rocketman."

"Major Tom." Chris said giving his head a slight nod, happy with his answer.

"Under the Milky Way,"  you countered, singing a few bars of it.

"Oooh, that's a good one.  Great song, great song.  Um, Oh! Fly me to the Moon."

"Hmm, Moondance!" You answered, nodding your head against his pecs.

"Now this is getting tough.  Ah, I can hear the lyric in my head but what the hell is the name?  Gah!"  You heard him hum a few bars and slap his hand down on his lap as he belted out, "Space Oddity!"  Giving you a smug look, he said, "Top that one!"

"Da, da, daaaa,  ooh I got it! Supernova!"  you sang a little bit to remind him of the song.

"Shit, my turn again."  Drumming his fingers against his leg and rocking his body slightly for a bit, he finally came up with an answer.  "Man on the Moon!!! Yes, I'm SO gonna win this!"

You rolled your eyes and sighed.  Both in reaction to his behavior, and secretly also to buy yourself time.  You raced through your mental file cabinet, flipping through the records in there for a song to throw back at him.  Finally coming up with something you sat up, pulling away while you looked at him.

Arms raising up into the air, fingers forked, you lowered your head and began to sing, "It's the Final Countdown!"  singing the tune.  You stood up and re-enacted the scene that was used countless times on Arrested Development when Gob would play the song at the beginning of his magic shows.  Chris picked up on it immediately, laughing and holding his stomach.

"Fuck! I love that show, Will Arnett is a comedy genius!  Alright, alright, I concede.  You win!"

"Yeah!"  you whooped, doing the Running Man as a little victory dance.  This earned yet another angel its wings as Chris delighted in your cheesy moves.

It was almost 12:30 when your phone lit up with a text from Ryan, checking up on you.  You texted him back that all was fine and where you were, filling Chris in on the message.

"Remind me to thank Ryan for the tip about the crème brulee. I would have expected cheesecake or ice cream.  What's the story there?" he asked.

You got up from the bench again with Chris following suit.  You were pretty far from the car and figured it was high time to start walking back while you continued talking.

"I went to Paris with Ryan and Sarah, and our parents about 12 years ago, part of this whole big tour group thing.  We arrived early and had to kill time before our first excursion, so we dropped off our luggage and went to a small restaurant a couple of doors down.  I had that for dessert after our waiter recommended it, and I was hooked. I ate it every single day for the rest of the week. I went back to Paris two years later with a friend and did it all over again."

"You liked the city that much?" He asked.

"It's probably my favorite city in the world.  It's strange, but I feel like I'm home when I'm there.  Maybe a past life or something, who knows," you said while waving off the notion with your hand.

"What's your favorite thing about it?" he asked, crooking his elbow so you could thread your arm through it.

"I know it's going to sound cliché, but the Eiffel Tower is the most beautiful thing in the world to me.  I even collect things with it, and my friends and family bring me stuff all the time. Seeing the city from high up there, it's just breathtaking."  You decided to spark things up, getting a devilish image in your head.

"I tell ya, I'll never forget standing there at the base, slowly letting my eyes glide up to take in that magnificent large erection." You said this innocently enough, even though you were being a smart ass.  You got the reaction you hoped for when Chris lost his shit, having to squat on the ground for a moment to regain his composure.

When Chris stood up he was wiping his eyes, clearing tears from them.  Shaking his head, he added "You're fuckin' evil?  You know that?  Now I'll nevah think of the fuckin' Eiffel Tower without getting porno images in my head."

You smiled slyly, enjoying his reaction.  "I told you my mind is wicked, and it has extremely vivid images.  Sometimes they slip out. It's a gift."

"Any chance of Boston being your favorite city? Maybe have a large erection you like here?" he inquired, getting sassy himself.

"I could think of at least one," you nodded before adding, "Boston's always been on my travel bucket list. I just never thought I'd have to see it with someone so boring and unattractive." This earned you a light smack on the ass and a playful scowl.  Things were moving in the right direction as far as you were concerned.

"Well, I'm glad I got to show my city off to you.  Did you have a good time today?"

"No." you replied quickly and matter of factly.  You were about to add more to it when you saw Chris turn towards you, reacting to your choice of word.

"No?! Are you fuckin' serious?  No!? That's it..." and with that he pounced on you, tickling your sides and your belly from behind until you screamed Uncle.  The second the assault stopped, you giggled and sprinted towards a large tree nearby.  Chris chased you in hot pursuit, weaving and bobbing to catch you as you darted behind the tree. You continued laughing, delighting in the chase and the game. He sneak attacked you and started in again, teasing you by asking, "No? That's your final answer?  No?"

"Stop!  Stop I wasn't finished you asshole!" You managed to get out in between laughs.   He heard your plea and ceased his assault. Not letting you go he just allowed you to turn in his arms.  His hands were loosely clasped together along your lower back, right above your ass. You had your hands clasped behind his neck, and you were looking into each other's eyes as you spoke.  

"Jeez, let a girl finish a thought!  I was going to say No, I didn't have a good day.  I had an amazing day, one of the best of my life and it's all thanks to you."  You suddenly felt tears pricking at your eyes and quickly lowered your face, hoping to hide them from his view.  He was too quick for you, immediately dipping his head to get it level with yours.

"Hey, ssshh, what's going on?  Why do you look like you're about to cry?" he asked, concern furrowing his brow.

You raised you face, looking around his head, unable to meet his eyes consistently.  "It's just.... I don't want to go home tomorrow.  I don't even want to go back to the hotel tonight.  I just...don't want this night to end."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspirations: Love My Way by the Psychedelic Furs
> 
> Under the Milky Way by Church


	9. Never can say goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things heat up on Chris and Nicole's date. Having to say goodbye the next morning is harder than they imagined it would be.

Those lips of his were taunting you...it was time to make your move and so you leaned in and gently kissed him. He responded and just as gently began kissing back.  You tightened the hand at the back of his neck and firmly brought his lips to yours, letting him know you wanted more. He took the hint and tightened his arm across the back of your shoulders so he could change the angle of the kiss.  

One hand fisted in his hair, while the other was playing with the back of his neck; you delighted in the feel of the shiver that ran through his body when certain spot was touched just right. Your breathing was becoming erratic as the passion inside you burst forward. He stood you upright and began sliding his hands over your neck and shoulders, then slid the sweater off and let it fall to the ground, never breaking the kiss.

You needed to taste him. No more of this closed mouth shit!  Lightly, you swiped the tip of your tongue along his lips and it was apparently the invitation he had been waiting for.  With a growl deep in the back of his throat he opened to you, finally deepening the kiss.  His hands were on the move, caressing your back, then sliding down to give your ass a squeeze.  Needing to touch every inch of him that you could, you began by sliding your hand down his chest, feeling the rock hard abs just below his shirt, then let them slide up the sides of his chest until they reached the wideness of his shoulders.

Chris' bottom lip was so plump and ripe you couldn't stop yourself from giving it a tug followed by a slight bite.  He made a guttural moan, apparently liking the move.  He then counterattacked.

Sliding his right hand up your back and into your scalp he grasped the section of hair at the nape of your neck and tugged it back, forcing your neck to bend slightly to the left, and exposing your tender flesh to him.

He took his time, leaning in close to you.  You felt a sudden chill as cool air brushed over the tiny hairs of your neck, when you felt him inhale slightly, breathing in your scent, moving his nose and mouth just above your skin.  You felt the same skin warm as he exhaled, bringing his mouth to the bottom of your throat and latching on, sucking the skin deeply.

You threw your head back with a lusty moan, trying to hold back the scream your body wanted to make. He kept control of your head, never releasing the hold of your hair.  Slowly, he gently licked a trail up your neck, following it up with sucking kisses.  His other hand gave your ass a final squeeze then moved up, bringing your dress with it slightly, as he worked his way to your breast, lightly caressing the side of it and letting his thumb rub lightly on your nipple through your dress.  

You leaned back into the tree for support, still grasping him by the shoulders.  You released your hold and started sliding your hands up towards his face.  When his lips reached the bottom of your neck again you clasped his head in your hands and nudged it towards your cleavage.  

Chris let out what sounded like a low growl at the invitation and in return brought both of his large hands to your breasts, cupping each one as he slowly used his mouth to lick and suck his way along the flesh exposed by the low cut neckline. The sensation was intense. Removing your hand from his face you raked it through your long hair, dragging it over your head and down the back of your neck before bringing it down to his face again. Your breathing was so erratic you were afraid you would soon faint. That is until he gave the top of your right breast a small nip that made you yelp in surprise and spiked your desire even higher. 

You felt yourself getting close to the edge and knew you had to slow down or this would be over too soon.  You moved your hands to his chest, pushing him backwards and using your arms to force him apart and off of you.  When he backed away, raising his brow slightly to see if everything was still okay, you grabbed the back of his head with your left hand and brought your mouths together again.  You allowed your other hand to skim its way across his chest, down his firm stomach and down the front of his pants.  You lightly passed your hand over the erection you found there, happy to find out he was larger than you thought, and gave him a slight squeeze. All the while you continued kissing him deeply. You twirled your tongue around his, giving it a soft slight suck at the same time that you squeezed him through his pants. Chris moaned and his hands tightened around your body. You broke the kiss to move your mouth down his neck this time.

You were licking and sucking down the side of his neck, but then he surprised you with a move you weren't expecting.  He lifted your skirt slightly and firmly used his fingers along the inside of your thigh to pull your legs apart.  He moved his left leg into position in between them.  He then slid his hand down your back to your ass, pushing you towards his bent leg, letting you rest on his thigh, putting pressure where you wanted it most.  His right hand made its way up towards your breast again, gently palming it's fullness as his mouth made it's way towards your ear.

Dipping his head low, Chris grasped the bottom of your earlobe between his lips, gently sucking your ear, letting his tongue run over the edges. You had no idea how erogenous a zone this was for you, but God did you know now.

"What the hell are you doing to me?" you asked him, breathless and slightly dazed.  The questions was more out disbelief that you were here, and Chris Evans was claiming your body for his own.  You couldn't even move, your senses so heightened you felt like you were about to break.  

"Do you want me to stop?" He whispered into your ear, pausing for a moment as he waited for an answer.

"Only if you have a death wish," you threatened before throwing your head back to rest against the tree again, granting him access to whatever he wanted.   Your body had a mind of it's own, and you began rocking your hips to build up pressure.  Your right hand moved to his back again, holding him to keep yourself anchored.   Your left you allowed to stroke over his face and down his body.  

When his hand moved away from your breast and started sliding down towards your thighs again, fingers lightly touching the top, you felt an immediate pooling of heat at your core and knew there was no pulling it back this time.

Desire overwhelmed you as your hand grasped his face and then you instantly began to devour each others mouths once more.  You dropped the hand from his face to his groin, beginning to stroke him over his pants.  He in return moved both hands to your ass, rocking you against him.  When he tried your tongue twirl and suck trick you exploded, using his mouth as a muzzle.  The orgasm ripped through you like a massive earthquake, your body convulsing with the force of it.   

Realizing what was happening, Chris swallowed your scream and tightened his hands on your ass, grinding you against his leg and rocked his hips along with yours until he felt you begin to relax. As the waves of pleasure slowed he gently loosened his grip, kissing your a little more tenderly and letting you regulate your breathing.  Exhausted, you pulled away from his mouth, dropping your head to rest on his right shoulder.

Chris held you, helping you to remain upright since your body felt like jelly at the moment.  You didn't even have the strength to hold him anymore and just let your arms hang loosely at his sides.

Chris turned so his cheek was resting on your head and asked softly, "Nikki, did you just...?"

Through panting breaths you could only manage to reply, "Uh-huh."

"That hard from just....?"

"Uh-huh."

"Holy. Fucking. Shit! Your body is so responsive to me."

"Well, if we're being honest here, I haven't come that hard in years.  Your kisses alone are better than any BOB I've ever owned."

"A what?  What the hell is a bob?"

"Battery operated boyfriend.  It's been a while. It's been a loooong while actually."

"Like, how long we talkin'?  Months?"

"Longer."

"A year?"

"Try years, plural. I'm practically a virgin again," you chuckled softly after this. Chris didn't find it funny, instead you felt his body completely tense up against you.

"I'm sorry, just ah... give me a minute okay?"

He turned away from you. Luckily you had regained a little strength and could stand on your own two legs, but you still felt shaky as hell.

"Chris, are you okay?" you asked, unsure what the problem was.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, just...stay over there please."  You overheard him muttering and tried to focus on the words.  You couldn't make them all out but were able to pick up on "Angela Lansbury.  Fractions.  Yankees.  Trump. Mark Ruffalo naked...and pole dancing?"

You laughed, and when he looked over his shoulder and wiggled his brow you knew the last one had been added for the benefit of your snooping.

"Sorry Nic, I had to calm down.  Knowing I just made you do that and had that effect on you from barely second base? Fuckin' hot has hell! You almost made me cum in my pants. I haven't done that shit since I was 15."  He pulled you back into him, cradling you in his arms, face against his shoulder.

"Are you shitting me or has it really been years?"  

"I'll explain another time, but it's the truth.  You, by the way, have got to be one of the best kissers I have ever experienced.  Holeee Shit was that hot!"

"And....I'm gettin' hard again, fuck!  I think we need to move, I can't be this close to you right now."

Looking him over, you spotted the mess you made on his leg.  "Um, Chris?  Sorry about your pants."  You said smiling sheepishly, a little chuckle coming through.

He looked down, shaking his head again but this time with humor, making fun of himself.

You reached out to touch him, not quite knowing what else to do at that moment.  You knew you had set boundaries earlier in the night, but you felt bad having him worked him up like this without offering something in return.  As usual, he read your face.  Taking your hands into his, his placed his forehead against yours.

"Hey, none of that.  You owe me nothing.  To be honest I think a case of blue balls would do me good, remind me of what it's like to be a normal guy again," he said, chuckling softly.  "In the meantime, I think it's time we start getting you back to the hotel.  You look like you're about to pass out, and your brother will beat my ass if you aren't home by sunrise."

The image of Ryan chasing Chris around made you smile, and the realization that you were, in fact, completely done for the night made you feel even more so. Picking your sweater up off the ground, you let Chris walk you to the car, an arm around your shoulder for support.

On the way to the hotel you made plans to meet Chris for breakfast at a little place near his condo.  The food would be better than the free stuff at the hotel, and it would give the family a chance to spend a little extra time with him.

He walked you up to your room, giving you one more long kiss before saying goodnight.  You entered the room as quietly as you could, trying to not disturb anyone.  You leaned back against the door, touching your lips with your fingertips, a smile spreading across them as you relived the feelings of this evening.

Slipping off your heels to avoid any noise, you tiptoed your way to your shared bedroom and entered the bathroom, being careful to turn on the light once you were inside with the door closed.  Taking a look at your reflection in the mirror you could see the differences from the one you had gazed upon earlier.  That girl had been nervous, worried these were her last few hours with Chris, unsure if they would have anything to talk about, filled with doubts about her looks, curious if she would get to kiss him.

This was no longer a girl but a woman looking back at you.  A woman who had spent hours talking with Chris, who had danced and laughed and enjoyed a wonderful evening.  A woman whose lips were swollen from having kissed him harder and hotter than she had ever kissed anyone before.  A woman whose hair looked a bit wild from being mussed and grabbed and who had apparently gotten a small hickey near her collarbone?  You let out a soft chuckle when you saw that, realizing you would have to use a little concealer there in the morning. Yeah, this woman knew she would see Chris in a few short hours and again soon.  This woman was falling hard.  This woman was royally fucked, but too exhausted to give a shit at the moment.  

Rubbing your eyes with the palm of your hand, you stepped out of your clothes, not evening bothering to brush your teeth, and slipped into the soft sleep shorts and t-shirt you left hanging on the back of the bathroom door.  You placed your dress on the now empty hook and shutting of the light, opened the door and glided over to the bed.  As soon as you climbed in your niece turned to you and snuggled in while still asleep.  You held her tight as the night's events replayed in your mind, before falling into a sleep where there were no dreams you could remember.

The following morning your brother came in to wake you and Maddie just before 8 am to see what the plans were for breakfast.  You asked if he wanted to meet Chris on the way out of town and naturally he and the kids were all for it.  When asked he tossed the purse you had dropped on the floor, missing the chair in your delirium the night before, so you could get your phone out to call Chris. 

When you opened your eyes enough to see the lock screen you noticed there were already 3 messages waiting for you:

_ My Captain:  Good morning sunshine, are you awake?   7:20am _

_ My Captain:  Did somebody stay out too late last night?  7:28 am _

_ My Captain:  Alright, text or call me when you get up you lazy bum. Can't wait to see you later. 7:46 am _

You called him then, blushing and for some reason shyly saying, "Good Morning."  

After making the arrangements the scramble to get ready began.  There wasn't really time to talk much to anyone about your evening. There were showers to be had and bags to be packed. There would be plenty of time to catch up on the 4 hours of traveling back home.   

Just after 9 am your group was checked out and packed up in the car.  Ryan navigated the city streets to the address Chris had given you for a local diner.

As soon as you parked the car the kids bolted from it, running towards Chris who was standing outside of the small restaurant.  He hugged them both tightly, secret handshakes and kisses again.  He and Ryan exchanged a tight hug and "Hey bro's" - no manly pats on the back for these two.  

You were the last to step up to him.  The entire time you waited your turn, you were biting your lip, looking him over and remembering every moment from the night before.  It was a little cooler out today and he was wearing a Fila tracksuit, which was super casual, but on that body anything looked like a million bucks. Your fingers moved on their own, thrumming against your stomach, recalling how his hard muscles felt under their touch. Flushing with excitement again you had to remember how to breathe when he finally locked eyes with yours.

Smirking a smile that crinkled his eyes, he brought his hands to your face and moved in close until your foreheads rested against each other, noses touching.  "Good Morning Beautiful.  I missed you," He gave you a full, if brief, kiss.

Smile beaming at his words, your heart was thumping like it would burst from your chest.  "I missed you too."

"Sure you can't stay just one more day?" he pleaded.

"God I wish I could.  But, reality bites.  Back to work tomorrow, kids have school."

"You're right.  Reality bites.  Let's get you inside and fed before the long haul home."  

Putting his arm around your waist he guided you to a table towards the back that had been set aside for your family.  Being Monday morning, the place was virtually empty which suited you just fine.  You were in no mood to share him with fans, wanting every last second you could get with him.

Your brother, the wonderful man that he was, made sure that the seat next to Chris was saved for you instead of one of the kids this time, and you took your seat by his side, kissing Ryan's head as you passed by him.

Menus reviewed, the waitress came to pour coffee and take orders.  You asked for Eggs Benedict, a treat you didn't get to eat often.

"Eggs Benedict, I couldn't tell ya the last time I had that.  I'll have what she's having please."

You giggled, thinking of the fake orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally but refraining from commenting because the children were present.  Chris read your face and your mind in a second and blushed, letting out a small laugh.  He waved away the questions of what was so funny.

"Jeez, Evans, never realized you were such a copycat.  Talk about being cookie cutter," you added with raised brows, looking over the advertisement on your paper placemat.

"Oh, are we on that again?" He asked, chewing his lip adorably and smiling even though he was trying to sound annoyed.

"So, did you guys have a good time last night?" Ryan asked, his expression innocent, his eyes up to no good.  You saw the little twerk in his lip as he tried to not smile.

You smirked a smile back at him, shooting playful daggers at your brother. "He took me to see the sunset from 80 floors up and then wined, dined, and uh...danced with me for the rest of the evening," you said sweetly.

Ryan spit his coffee back into his cup, body falling forward as he barked out a surprised laugh.  He looked at you, barely containing composure.

"You deserved that ya shit," lowering your face into your hands while you laughed and tried to stop the flushing that was blooming again.

Chris stayed out of it, not wanting to be any part of a discussion involving a man's younger sister and the guy who took her out.

Your meals all came, and everything was delicious!  You marveled at how it always seemed that the smaller the place, the better the food. Since the place was empty there was no rush to leave and you all sat around the table, joking and exchanging stories.  You had the entire prior evening with Chris so you were able to just sit back and let your family have it's turn.  This gave you the chance to just look at him, memorizing every detail you could.

Before you knew it, it was time to get going.  The ferry in Bridgeport, CT was several hours away and you couldn't miss your reservation.  You and Chris cuddled together and you took a selfie with your phone.  Photos were also taken of Chris with each of the kids, your brother, and the 4 of them together as well. Your waitress Anna came by and took photos of the whole group at the table with your phone and then Chris'.

Ryan and yourself split the check, pulling it away from Chris' grasp.  Chris clinked his fork against the juice glass in front of him.

"I just wanted to say, there were not thousands, but hundreds of thousands of entries for the contest.  The fact that yours was the one pulled?  I don't know what kind of divine intervention that was, but I believe it happened for a reason.  I could not have chosen a better person to win, or a better group of people to spend these last couple of days with.  Thank you Frasiers." He lifted the orange juice, everyone else joining in and clinking glasses for his toast.

Looking around you decided to toast him back.  "And I would just like to say, that donation was the best $25 I've spent in my entire life.  Thank you for making our weekend so amazing Chris."

Everyone clinked glasses again and the talk turned to the travel plans for the rest of today. Chris walked with your family to the car.  Saying goodbye seemed difficult for everyone.  Maddie had to be practically yanked off of him.  She gave him a kiss on the cheek and reminded him that their birthday was only a few weeks away and he really could come if he wanted to.  He thanked her and said he would see what he could do, taking her hands and giving a kiss to the backs of them.  She walked away on a cloud to her side of the car. The boys were less dramatic, but still bittersweet.

You, on the other hand, were choking back tears and had a huge lump in your throat that you couldn't swallow down.  How could you be falling so hard for someone you just met?  This weekend was nothing you expected, but everything you dreamed of.  You hugged each other tightly.  Throwing caution to the wind you kissed right there on the sidewalk, heedless of who could see, for a minute or two.  The kids making "ooohh" sounds at you through the lowered windows was what finally made you remember where you were and brought you back down to planet earth.

"I'll talk to you soon alright.  Maybe I can call you tonight?" he questioned.

"I would love that.  I should be home by 7."

"It's a date.  You better get going, the ferry waits for no one."

One more hug and he walked you to the car door, holding it open until you slipped in, closing it while you clicked in your seat belt. You lowered the window, eager for one more quick kiss, which he was more than happy to provide.

With a slap on the top of the roof, he said his final goodbyes to everyone and wished you safe travels.  As the car pulled away from the curb, you watched Chris through the side mirror until he was out of view, giving him a tiny wave before allowing yourself to relax into your seat and let your mind wander.

The kids were once again excitedly talking about Chris and rehashing the weekend.  You couldn't focus on them, lost in your own world this time.  Ryan picked up the slack, interacting with his kids and putting his hand on your shoulder every now and again.  Eventually the kids grew tired of talking and they both ended up with headphones on, listening to music and playing with their tablets.

When you were a couple of hours into the trip and back in the car after a rest stop, your brother handed you his phone, unlocking it quickly.

"Got a belated birthday present on there for you.  Open my camera app and take a look."  He pulled the car back onto the highway as you looked at the phone curiously.  As soon as you saw what he was gifting you, tears sprang into your eyes.  Holding the phone in both hands you held it to your heart as you looked at him with gratitude.

"I had no idea you were doing this!  I never saw you!"

"That's cause I'm a super secret Ninja.  Now have a look will you.  Don't let these mad skills go to waste."

Your brother had at least two dozen photos and almost as many short videos of you and Chris saved to his phone.  There were shots from the Escape room and the restaurant that night.  You and Chris at the shark tank, both with disgusted expressions at touching the creatures.  A photo he must have taken over his shoulder of the two of you wrapped up with each other on the swan boat.  You loved the video of you and Chris on the rock at the park.  You looked so happy together.  

All in all he had documented at least one moment from every part of the trip that he was present at.  You could visually see the progression of your relationship with Chris, see how the body language between the two of you changed from that first hour to just this morning. Watching the videos you noticed something.  An expression that was on Chris' face when he was looking at you and you were looking elsewhere.  You knew that look.  It was his mooning over Tom Brady in the locker room look. It was the look of someone who was not bullshitting you when he said he would see you again.  You hugged the phone again and then quickly forwarded everything to your cell.  You leaned across the car to plant a big wet kiss on your brother's cheek.

"You're my favorite brother named Ryan." you said, smiling and giving him a quick nod of the head.  This was a game you had played since you were young.  You were the only girl but you had two older brothers.  You were lucky enough to have a close relationship with each, you would have chosen them to be your friends if they weren't already your brothers.  You could never choose between them so it was always "my favorite Ryan or my favorite Erik."

"I'm your only brother named Ryan," he quipped back.

You sat back in your seat, now calmer and a lot happier.  "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me."

He glanced your way, a proud smile on his face.  "I think I do sis.  Trust me when I say, you'll see him again."

You were sitting on the top deck of the ferry, enjoying the breeze and the view of the large houses on the hilltops, watching the wake form behind the vessel, when your phone chirped.

_ My Captain:  How are the travels going?  Did you make the boat? _

You snapped a selfie with the sun and waves behind you, wind whipping your hair up a little.   Sending the pic you captioned it, "Wishing you were here."

_ My Captain: I'll see you soon beautiful. _

Soon couldn't come fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music influences my writing and sets the tone, for this chapter:
> 
> "Love of my Life by Dave Matthews & Santana" set the mood for their connection in the park 
> 
> "Collide by Howie Day" set the tone for the restaurant and the remainder of the chapter


	10. And Now For Something Completely Different - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the flip side of the story, this was originally posted as one long chapter on Wattpad. I'm splitting it over 2 over here for easier reading

Looking at the message that popped up on my phone, a smile emerges on my face.  The selfie that appears shows a sexy grin and eyes full of mischief.  My thumb strokes the photo on the screen as I recall the moments of this past weekend.  I type back, _“I’ll see you soon beautiful.”_

 Soon can’t come fast enough.

I hit the gym for a couple of hours after saying goodbye to Nikki and her family. I’m still bulking up for the upcoming shoot and honestly, the punching bag is a great way to relieve sexual frustration. After last night, I had a lot to get rid of. Fahck me, that girl can kiss! We’ve got chemistry, no doubt. That was the hottest shit I can remember in a long time. And the mental connection? Oh man, to be able to have intelligent conversations about so much shit! She keeps up with me, even when I'm down with ADD. Last night was one of the best nights of my life, and I can't fucking wait for another one to happen.

The workout drenched me in sweat, so I stopped off at my condo for a quick shower. As I walked around the place, I realized how badly I had wanted Nicole to come over. There would’ve been some fireworks if she had. I undressed and flexed my muscles in front of the mirror, grimacing at the aches, but happy with the results. I stepped under the spray and let the hot water wash over me.  I thought about the way it felt when her hand massaged my cock over my pants. The way she firmly grabbed it, while she twirled then sucked my tongue. It made me think how good that mouth would feel wrapped around my dick and that was it.  Sayonara blue balls.  I let the memory in my head turn into fantasy and came right there in the shower.  

I washed up, _again_ , and started dressing when a disturbing thought occurred to me.  We really never made it past second base. I can’t remember the last girl to turn me down. I mean, I have a vague recollection of her face, but can’t even place her name. It got me thinking, there should be more of them that said no, right? My number’s not exactly small, and now I gotta wonder not only how many I used for a good time, but how many used me?  Did they fuck around with me because they really liked me or was it for bragging rights?

She could easily have been one of those girls, and yet she chose not to be. Maybe she really was an authentic person.

The thought intrigues and terrifies me at the same time.

Ah fahck, I'm in deep.

When the winner was picked for the Omaze contest, my people immediately started a background check.  God forbid the winner had some sort of criminal record or was a crazy ass stalker of mine. Chances are anyone entering the contest was doing so for a chance to hang out with me. It was a legit concern. Shit, you can't be too careful these days. There was even talk of sending a bodyguard for me, but there’s no fucking way was that happening.

My assistant had come by one day with a hard copy of the file.  Her picture was the first thing I spotted and I was immediately drawn in by it. Christ, she had a nice smile. A real one, not one of those fake ones you see people doing everywhere, and no pout or an annoying duck face. Her smile had a warmth to it, it reached her eyes. Don't get me started on her eyes, or hell, the rest of her.

I went through the rest of the pages quickly, reading a line here or there while my PA read me the highlights.  It was pretty goddamn comprehensive, with a lot of stuff to go through.  Thank God I didn’t have to do it.  Shit went all the way back to high school and included her more recent social media activity.  

Trouble was, once I saw her, I couldn’t unsee her.  I ended up looking through the file, just a page or two at first.  Then one night I binge read it like a damn script or something. This girl was _actually_ cool.  Organizes charity events at her office and is tight with her family and friends. Doesn’t post a lot of stupid crap for attention, like vague posts looking for likes. She’s got class, and she’s also got an ass from what I could make out in some photos.  My kinda girl. In the 2 months between the name pull and the actual game, I kinda started crushing on her.

That little crush grew large enough that by the day of the game, I was freaking the fuck out.  I had to do everything I could to pretend I knew nothing about her. She was so nervous, and it was goddamn adorable.  I needed to see the real her, not just what I’d been reading about her.

Luckily, she turned out to be better than I hoped she would be.

I grabbed my keys and wallet from the dresser, and then spotted the crumpled bag from the gift shop. I paused, remembering her expression when I gave her the bracelet last night. How many moments did I look at her and see actual joy on her face? Over simple stuff, too. The bracelet wasn't fancy, but she acted like it was. With the hope of seeing her again before I had to leave for Atlanta, I thought I’d pick up a few mementos for her, some reminders our weekend together.      

I got in the car and drove to the aquarium. The radio was playing “Come on Get Higher.”  When the song got to the part, “ _I can taste the sparks on your tongue. I see angels and devils and God when you come_ ,” all I could think about was the way she exploded in my arms last night. I had to sit in the parked car for a few moments to calm down.  When I was breathing normally again, and after I adjusted myself, I went straight to the gift shop on the exit side.   

I figured I’d buy her a little blue penguin, but then a basket of stuffed stingrays caught my attention.  Fuck the penguin, this is the guy coming home with me! Thinking about the combination of laughter and revulsion on her face when we made her feed them and they barked at her…I knew this had to be it. I think he should be named Gordon, I don't know why that name came to me, but it fits him. Snatching it up, I got in line for the cashier, keeping my head ducked down low with the hat and glasses for cover, and quickly paid for my purchase.

Then I remembered something I’d spotted at the Science Museum. Another stop to make before heading over to my mom’s house. As I drove through the neighborhood “In Your Eyes” started playing on the radio. That fahcking radio man, what was up with that? As I walked through the latest gift shop, I had the memory of sitting with Nicole on the park bench last night. Checking out the stars and discussing whether or not the first televised lunar landing was real or staged, singing _Under the Milky Way_ , comparing our favorite Apollo missions. 

I picked up a small stress ball, shaped and printed like the moon. I also spotted a long block of wood that had been painted in burgundy with the words “..... _to the moon and back._ ”  It was a line from a favorite childhood book, but it was also fitting for Nicole after all our talks. 

Keeping my hat and sunglasses on, I went over the shops at Faneuil Hall and I ducked my head down as I walked through.  Luckily it was early Monday afternoon and the shops were pretty empty. Within just a few stops I’d gotten a few Yankee Candle votives that were Sandcastle scented. I had to have some for myself. They smelled like childhood summers and now, her. 

The scent triggered another memory from yesterday, and I looked around until I found a bookstore that had little swan statues in the window.  A reminder of sitting on the swan boat and then the rock with her, and just getting to know each other a little more. I poked around a bit, adding a book of poetry by Rumi. I remembered her posting a quote by him on Instagram for one of her friends who had hit a rough patch. It seemed she actually read his works like I did. 

As I was heading up to the register, I saw a display of Harry Potter collectibles. I was drawn to the tiny boxes and I knew exactly why. One had black writing scrawled across the top that said, “ _I solemnly swear I am up to no good_.” 

I laughed because it was perfect! It was both sarcastic like us, and a reminder from the Escape Game. On the display right behind it were keyrings that looked like skeleton keys. I picked one up, adding it to the pile, knowing from her file how much she loved them. At the counter I was spinning the bookmarks display when I spotted an Eiffel Tower one. Perfect. I had a moment where I was wondering if I was buying too much for her, but nah, I know she’s sentimental and will appreciate it. 

Thinking I was done with my shopping, I headed back to the car for the ride to my Mom’s house. I still didn’t know what the hell was coming over me. Why I couldn’t remove the smile from my face? It happened every time I thought about her, which was constantly. I gave my head a good shake to try and clear my thoughts. 

It didn't work. 

For years I’ve been a firm believer that the universe will give you the answers you seek, if only you’re willing to listen. I sent my thoughts out to it, searching for guidance. Was I right about her?  Was this something worth pursuing, knowing how hectic my life was already, and how much crazier it was about to become? Was she going to pissed and turned off by my knowing so much about her before we met? 

Fahck, what if she thinks I'm an stalker for it? If she did look past all of that, could she handle the shit that came from knowing me? It's no fucking picnic dating someone in this business, there's so much that can go wrong. 

What the hell am I supposed to do? 

A song came on the radio that I’ve heard dozens of times, but never truly paying much attention to it, and usually sang along on autopilot. Today though, my mind focused on the words: 

_And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

_Maybe just the touch of a hand_

_Oh me I fall in love with you every single day_

_And I just wanna tell you I am_

_So honey now_

_Take me into your loving arms_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Place your head on my beating heart_

_I'm thinking out loud_

_Maybe we found love right where we are..._  

How many times had I held her hand over the last two days and felt that jolt of electricity?

Realizing this was the third time a song had struck me today, I decided to try a little test.  I hit the scan button and opened my mind to absorb whatever would come through.   

First stop on the dial brought “Baby Come Back” which played for 15 seconds before the station changed. “Iris” came on next and I realized that Nicole was right, songs can make you time travel.  I immediately thought of our first dinner together.

Pushing the scan button again, I got a few static filled commercials, then Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” came through. Damn, that song was kinda hot! I let the song change again, this time to an innocent one “Sugar.” I started listening, and well shit, that one wasn’t so innocent after all, now was it? 

That’s it. I’m letting the station change one more time, and if it’s, “I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You,” or some shit like that, I’m turning this car around and catching the next Ferry to Long Island. 

After another few stations played commercials and then Katy Perry started belting out “Firework.”   

Safe!  

Another few stations of non-meaningful songs and it seemed my test was wrong. 

Shit, was I wrong. 

As I turned off the highway and made it into my town, I passed a small gift shop that was wheeling out a rack of sweatshirts on clearance to way for the summer stock of t-shirts.  I swung my car around so fast the tires squealed. I had promised Nikki a proper sweatshirt and here it was. I chose a royal blue one with Sudbury printed on it, knowing her size from sneaking a peak at the tag inside the one she bought yesterday.   

They were on sale for $25!

The same price she paid for the ticket that brought us together. I sighed and I made a mental note to let her know it seemed to be our lucky number.  I snatched up a Sudbury shot glass for her collection as well. Come on Universe, what else you got? 

I drove through my childhood neighborhood which held so many memories with each turn, things I was looking forward to sharing with Nicole...if I could get her back here.   

I got out and walked around the back of the house to enter through the kitchen.  Knowing my Mom, I figured she’d be in the kitchen cooking for the family dinner tonight.  She’d invited my sisters over and would be prepping the meal.  As soon as my key turned in the lock, Dodger came running over, jumping at my nuts in greeting.   

“Hey buddy, I missed you too!” I said, getting on my knees so he could lick my face, rubbing my hands on his side, “Good boy.” Once he settled down I stood up and turned towards my Mom.  She’d been chopping lettuce but had stopped, giving me a look that meant we had a lot to talk about. 

Holding out my hand, beckoning my Mom, I made my way towards her singing, “ _Someday. When I’m awfully low. When the world is cold. I will feel a glow just thinking of you, and the way you look tonight_.”   

She laughed, her surprised smile making her look almost girlish.  I swept her into my arms and began leading her around the kitchen.   

“ _Yes, you’re lovely.  With your smile so warm. And your cheek so soft.  There is nothing for me, but to love you.  And the way you look tonight_.”   

We kept dancing, she joined me in singing, back-leading me into a few moves that I had forgotten from her lessons. Dance over, I returned her to the kitchen island. Dodger had been trying to join in, prancing around us and yipping. I reached down to scratch his head while Mom and I laughed, giddy and amused at our little spontaneous act.  Mom wiped a tear from her eye with the side of her thumb, her laughter finally subsiding.   

“Wow Chris, if that girl has this kind of effect on you, I love her already.” 

I smiled sheepishly, looking down at my feet for moment while I did a little tap dance, still enjoying the moment.  Meeting my mom’s knowing gaze I admitted, “She really does Ma, I can’t get her out of my head.  On paper she was cool, but you never know how true that shit is. People put up what they want you to _think_ they are. Whatever makes them look good. With her though, in person,”  I paused, biting my thumbnail before continuing, “she’s absolutely amazing.” 

I walked around to the fridge, grabbing a bottled water and spotting a container of antipasti, started helping myself to some of the olives. Mom caught me and yelled, “Hey, knock it off, that’s for dinner!”

I looked at her quickly, before popping 2 more in my mouth.  They were so good!  I started rustling around to see what else she had in there. That was, until I spotted the mother load of fresh mozz on the counter. My mouth was watering just looking at it. I just couldn't help myself and started eating. 

So. Fucking. Good. 

Mom was finishing up with the lettuce and had moved onto peeling carrots for the salad when she caught me.  “Christopher! Leave that mozzarella alone,” she yelled.  I turned my back to her, sneaking another piece, thinking she wouldn’t spot me.  “I saw that.  Do I need to pull out the wooden spoon?” she threatened.   

“You wouldn’t?!”

“Take another piece and try me.” 

I squinted my eyes at her, trying to see if she was being playful or was really getting mad.  “If I recall, that wooden spoon is broken!  Why would you still have it?” 

“Yes, it is. But I taped it back together and I can still wield it. I’m saving it for my old age. I can sell it on ebay and make a fortune off the ‘spoon that broke over Chris Evans’ ass!’”   

Now I knew she was being playful, she couldn’t hold her face straight anymore.  I sneaked another slice. 

Pointing the peeler at me she said, “That’s it, you’re on tomato slicing duty, mister. Sit your ass down and tell me about yesterday.” 

After trying to grab another piece, and earning a slap on the hand, I washed up  and took my spot at the island.  I pulled out my phone to show her the picture from the ferry and others from yesterday.  I showed Dodger too, “Look pal, isn’t she pretty? She loves you, says you're the cutest little guy. Maddie and Alex said so too.” 

He wagged his tail in response. 

We made the salad and appetizers together while I brought her up to date. Not that I was much help.  I was gesturing more than cutting and she finally sighed deeply, resigning to do it herself. Several times she made quick bangs on the counter with the back of her knife while snapping, “Less daydreaming lover boy, more cutting!”  I also got yelled at for throwing food to Dodger.    

“So, I’m sorry if I ‘interrupted’ anything last night,”  she said quietly, but with a little teasing smile on her lips. 

“You kinda did, but it turned out ok.  We were in the car, making out like a couple of horny teenagers.”  I said this to make her blush, I loved ribbing my mom.  I succeeded and laughed as she actually cringed. 

Deciding to stop torturing her I added, “It was actually a good thing that you called, in hindsight of course. The call caused us to slow things down.  I ended up taking her down to the harbor and to that little park that has the twinkle lights and benches. Remember that one?”  She nodded, “Anyway, we ended up walking around the park and talking for almost two hours after you called.” 

She looked at me, raising her brow questioning my statement.  “Two hours?  What the hell did you guys talk about for that long?” 

“It’s more like what _didn’t_ we talk about, Ma. We have so many common interests, things just flow so easy between us, we could’ve talked all night if she wasn’t leaving today.” 

“And what did you do after all this ‘talking’?  It must have been really late by that point,” she asked as she started tossing the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. She had her brow raised, obviously thinking she should have interrupted something again. 

“Nothing,” throwing my hands up at my mom. She put a hand on her hip, shooting me a look of utter disbelief until I admitted, “Alright, alright, there may have been some more kissing before I took her back to her hotel.  A lot more kissing. God she’s a good kisser.”  I was touching my lips without realizing it.  When I caught myself, I saw my mother shaking her head with a smile on her face. 

“But that’s it.  We just kissed and then I took her back to her hotel room and said goodnight.”

“Gotta say Chris, the way you’ve been going on about her. I’m surprised that’s as far as it got.” 

“What can I say. She’s said she likes to move slow. If I was serious about seeing her again, then we’d have plenty of time to get to other things.”

“Okay, I like her even more now.  Any girl that can say no to my beautiful boy, (grabbing my chin and squeezing my face) has earned my respect. _Are_ you going to see her again?” She asked as she was washing up the cutting boards and knives.   

“I want to, hoping I can see her over the holiday weekend, since I leave Tuesday. I’ll ask her later, see if she’s free.” 

“You know I’ve always been honest with you Chris. She was nice on the phone last night and spoke easily with me. I could hear the warmth in her voice.  I’ve always given you my opinion about the women in your life, whether you agreed with me or not.  Dating you might be difficult for her, especially with all of the filming happening.  I don't want her to get hurt, but more importantly, I hate seeing you get hurt. 

“I know, I still can’t figure out if this is all good or bad. I mean, an actress understands I’ll be gone for long stretches at a time.  Not like those relationships ever last either.  I’ll be all over filming three movies this year. It won’t give me much time to be with her.  But I don’t want to give up without trying y’know? I’m willing to try it. Travel to see her whenever I can if she’s willing to.” 

She came close, cradling my face in her hands like when I was a kid, looking me in the eyes.  “Baby, you’re a hopeless romantic. This innate kindness you have, your open heart, is your biggest blessing, but it’s also your biggest curse. You give yourself over so freely. I want so much for you to find happiness.  I know you’ll always do whatever you want to do. Go with your gut, see where this goes.  Who knows, it may turn out to be nothing, but it may turn out to be everything.” 

“You worry too much, but I promise I’ll be careful.  Every girl I’ve dated has broken up with me, you know, not the other way around.” I captured her hand, turning my face into her palm and  planting a kiss there. 

“It obviously hasn’t been the right girl if they don’t see in you all of the amazing things that I do.  When the right girl comes around she’ll see it and that will be it.” 

“I love you, Ma.”  I had to change the conversation, this was getting a little too serious and I wasn’t ready to think about it right now.  “By the way, dinner smells out-rageous!  Pot Roast?” I  said sniffing my way towards the oven, and hoping to change the subject. 

“Yeah, it should be ready soon. Your sisters will be here within the hour for dinner. Why don’t you go relax, I’ve got everything done here.” 

“Okay, let me know if you need anything.” I headed towards the living room with Dodger at my heels. I sent Sebastian a pic of me with Nicole, with a text asking if he had a little time for a call.  Dodger took his place with his head on my lap, wanting his head scratched.  Seb called me within minutes. 

“Hey! Can you talk?” I asked.  Hearing the noises behind him, I could tell he was on set. 

“Hey man, yeah it’s fine.  Just chillin’, taking a quick break from the stunt training. You comin’ down here soon?” asked Seb. 

“Yeah, I’ll be there next Tuesday.”   

“Cool man, looking forward to seeing you.  So, ah, who’s the girl?  She’s pretty cute.” Seb asked curiously. 

“That’s Nicole. She’s the girl that won that Omaze thing I did this weekend,” I answered, almost proudly. 

“Shit, that’s right! You finally got to meet that girl you’ve been stalking!” 

“I haven’t been stalking her!” I said, maybe a tad too quick. 

“Oh no, of course you haven't! Just looking up everything about her for two months. Talking about her all the time without having met.  You’re right, not stalkerish at all. That's what all the kids do nowadays, Cap,” he answered sarcastically. 

“It’s not stalking, it’s...research,” I replied as a lame ass excuse. 

“I call it bullshit.” 

“Call it whatever you want, just not stalking.” Wait, was it stalking?  Who the fuck knows. 

Sebastian laughed hard on his end, then asked, “So how was it?” 

Being a ball buster I told him, “It was great! We beat the room with like a minute left to spare.” 

“You know that’s not what I mean, ya dick!” he said annoyed. 

“Yeah I know, I know.  Nah man, it was awesome.  She’s funny as hell, smart, and sexy.  She’s curvy in all the right places.” 

“Did she fangirl or anything when she met you?” 

“Not like you’d think. Y’know when they first brought her back, right, you could tell she was a little starstruck. She was kinda shy, she couldn’t really look at me.  But once we broke the ice she was on fire, sassing me, totally not affected by me. Which is great, because we knew she’s a fan.” 

“Yeah, from all the _not_ stalking you did.” Sebastian countered 

“Stahp! However I found out, the point is, she was able to see me, and treat me, as a person instead of an actor she crushes on.” Wait...is she crushing on other actors? Was that in the file? 

“That’s cool. Didn’t she get to bring people with her? Any hot, non-celebrity affected friends?” 

“No, she didn’t bring friends to the game, brought her brother and his 2 kids instead. Dude’s real cool, solid guy.  Kids are fantastic. I took them all over Boston yesterday.” 

“Wait. Hold on. I thought it was just the game? What's up with being a tour guide?” 

“They stayed an extra day because yesterday was her birthday. Spent the entire day with her and most of the night.” 

“Do I even want to ask?” he said salaciously. 

“I don’t kiss and tell. But...it would be enough to make you blush. Of course, my Mom called and threw a bucket of ice water on the whole fucking thing,” I answered back, laughing as I said it. 

“Ha! Ha! Your Mom cock blocked ya! Hope your balls were hurting! Wait, wait. Blush? _Me_? You’re killing me, man!  Next week I want details!” he demanded. 

“We’ll see.” 

“Hells yeah, we’ll see. Let me ask you something, after all that ‘research’ was she what you expected?” 

“And then some, dude.” I replied, confidently and satisfied. 

“Sure she's not gonna take this story to the highest bidder? The headlines would be fucking amazing, ya know? Press would have a field day, studio would go nuts, your Mom would get pissed again. Shit, somebody'd probably give her a cool million for even a hint of what you guys did this weekend.” 

I chewed my lip and sighed, “I just don't see her doing that. We talked and she had some bad shit happen to her once. The fucker really did damage and I want to track him down and give _him_ some damage of his own. She just really isn't that type of person. _She_ was quick to slow us down, even turned me down flat when I offered to take her to the condo. Nothing is shouting out to me that I'm in danger. I don't see her selling this to anyone. It was just for us, ya know? She's just...good.” 

Sebastian was quiet while thinking this over, and finally he replied, “I'm happy for you then. You just gotta watch your ass, right? This might be the time to talk to her about all the fucking baggage you bring into relationships, even from just knowing you. Since you played tour guide, someone probably got a pic of you guys, so give her a warning. If you decide to do some damage, let me know, I hate assholes like that! I'm really pissed that something happened to her and I don't even know her. 

“By the way, I had dinner alone with her last night and she asked me about you. Also wanted me to say ‘Hello’ from her and her friend Dani, who’s a fan of yours.” 

“She asked about _me_ on your date? This I gotta hear.” 

I put on a girly high pitched voice, “Is Sebastian Stan really as sweet and funny and kind as he seems?” 

“So what’d you tell her?” 

“I told her the God’s honest truth.” 

“Oh shit, here we go. Which is?” 

“That you're a Class A, royal DICK!”  I started laughing boisterously. 

“Evans, YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE!” Seb yelled. 

Still laughing, “Aw come on!  Don’t be like that my little chubby dumpling. My sexy Seabass.  My Winter Boo Bear.” 

“Remind me to kill you for that nickname, _bro_ ,” he said with venom. 

“It’s alright, I can stop calling you all of those and Romanian Prince too, because I now have a new one!” 

“Alright, alright, enough! Shit, do I wanna know what it is?” sounding exasperated and a bit scared. 

“You should, it’s one Nicole made up.” 

“What is it?”

"Cocky Motherfucker Lance Tucker.” 

“Well shit! Wait, she says _motherfucker_?” He asked incredulously. 

“Dude, you don't know the half of it. This girl is sassy as fuck. I can't tell ya how many times she brought me to tears this weekend.” 

“Did you hear that?” 

“What” 

“That crack.” 

“What crack?”

“The one from the whip she’s hit you with! Man you’re done! You're gone!” he teased, laughing. 

“Fuck. You. Sebastian.” 

I heard Seb laugh hysterically at his own joke before asking me to hold on a sec, while he listened to someone on his side. 

“Chris? I’m sorry man, I’m getting called back to set, I gotta go. We’re not finished with this conversation, Evans.” 

“It's cool, I’ll talk to you soon buddy.”

“See you next week! Later man!” 

After hanging up with Seb, Dodger and I chilled on the couch for a while waiting for the family to arrive. I dicked around on my phone playing games and checking my fantasy baseball team. A little while later Dodger jumped off the couch, running towards the front of the house just seconds before we heard keys rattle and door open.  I heard him prancing and snorting, excited to see his favorite humans.  Everyone gave him his “good boys” as they came in.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo this story was the 1st thing I ever wrote & was intended as a one shot, one day. When my cousin read it she asked what happens next. I told her Nicole leaves, gets a text from him on the ferry that makes her smile, end of story. She flipped out and went on a mission to open my eyes to the possibility that I could actually write and that this could be so much more. She brought the idea of Chris' people having run a background check on Nicole and the whole story exploded in my head. This chapter is what turned this from a day, to a weekend, to oh so so much more. Thank you to my cousin and beta for opening my eyes and my world.


	11. Tell Her About It - Part 2 of chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris enjoys dinner and gets some advice from his family. Later he catches up with Nicole.

Dodger was woofing out his greetings and I suddenly heard Stella yell “Uncle Chris!” as she rushed at me when I came into view. I got off the couch and caught her in a running hug, spinning her around in the air while she made delighted squeals.  I put her down and Dodger immediately started following her.  She was his favorite place to lay down.  I gave Miles a spin too, earning a huge grin, and hugged Ethan.  He was a little too big to spin even for me.  I greeted Carly and Ryan as they followed behind the kids.

I jumped when Shanna smacked me from outta nowhere.

“Ow! What the fuck was that for?” I said, rubbing my arm.

“You little shit!  How could you leave me out the loop yesterday?  You’re texting Mom and Carly all day, but I have to wait and find out  _ today _ that you met Nicole?  What the hell is wrong with you?”  She. Was. Pissed!

“What do you mean?” I played off, figuring I’d just irritate her a little more.

“ _ What do I mean _ ? Are you fuckin’ kidding me? You called Ma Saturday night and filled her in on everything.  You go to Carly’s for breakfast yesterday and catch her up. I gotta find out secondhand that you finally met her and that things went well.  Was it so hard to just type ‘Shanna’ into the group text Chris?”

“Sorry, I really am. I didn’t think about it. I answered them because they were blowing up my phone yesterday, askin’ if I’d gone to the places they told me about.”

“Did you text Scott or am I the only one left out?” she asked suspiciously.

“No, just Mom and Carly, but it was just because of the places they had given me suggestions about, I sweah,” I said, throwing my hands up in defense, trying to make her feel better.

“You know I could’ve given you suggestions too! I coulda told you some cool places to take her,” she pointed out, although she was finally calming down.

“I know you could’ve. Next time, okay? Next time.”  I gave her a hug and a kiss to apologize and she gave me another smack on the arm for good measure before heading into the kitchen to help Mom. I followed her and got the stack of plates together to set the table for dinner.

Everyone gathered and we started in our our salads and apps.  I finally got to have my way with the mozz and antipasta again.  I caught Carly’s look as I was cracking open a beer.  

“Spill it, I know that face.  What do you wanna know?”  I asked her.

“How did the rest of the night go?  Mom said you went dancing.  _ Seriously _ _? _ ” She asked, her face showing a little disbelief.

“It wasn’t really like that, I took her to a nice restaurant for dinner and there was a patio where you could dance.  But we were amazing together! We got applause!”  I still couldn’t get over this.  I think I’m always going to end talk of that dance with “we got applause!”

“And the rest of the day with her?”  she fished.

“Perfect.  Abso-fuck-lutey perfect.”

My sister gave me an approving look, apparently happy with what she heard and read on my face.

A few cheers erupted when Mom brought out the pot roast, with potatoes and veggies surrounding it on the platter.  Damn it looked and smelled so good!  This was always a family favorite. Carly brought out a platter of crescent rolls, piping hot from the oven.  We all dove for them, my sister handing one to Miles to try.  One bite and he spit it out.  “I don’t wike it!”

Using mine as a pointer I looked at him sternly and said, “Dude, that’s just un-American.”

The conversation at the table shifted to the talk about the kids, my upcoming work, and Carly getting ready for the end of the school year play.  

Shanna asked me another question about Nicole, when my brother in law Ryan finally piped up and said, “Can I just ask, who the fuck is Nicole?”

You could almost hear the crickets chirp as we all stopped dead to look at him.  Carly was the first to regain her senses.  “Who’s Nicole? We’ve discussed this HOW many times in front of you. Where the hell do you go to in your mind when we’re talking Ryan?”  

Sheepishly, Ryan shrugged his shoulders, not having an answer.  “Sorry guys, maybe I never realized that was her name.  I remember some of the other stuff.”

Letting out a disgusted sigh, my sister returned to her questioning.  “By the way, does she know that you’ve been looking into her?   


“Ah, that would be a big No.”  I responded

“You going to tell her?”  Ryan asked, apparently trying to be involved now.

“Definitely.  I was planning on telling her yesterday but never found the right time.”

My mom put in her two cents.  “If it were me, I’d wait a few days.  I know she said she had no plans to post anything about you, but who knows if she’s serious about it.  Give it a few days to make sure she’s honest and can be trusted before you let her know.”

The adults at the table nodded in agreement. “This isn't so easy, Chris. She really isn't like the other women you've dated,” said Carly, her expression serious.

Shanna agreed and added, “She doesn’t know about the background check. You don't know how she's going to react to being looked into. That might scare her, or enrage her, you don't know.”

I paused to think about the revelation I needed to make to Nicole.  “ I get it, I really do get it. I have to tell her and I will.  I just think it’s best if I tell her in person where I can gauge the impact by looking at her face. It may be a little while.”

Shanna added, “Just make sure that you tell her before things getting any deeper. You don’t want to build trust with someone and have them pull the rug under you months down the road.”

“You’re right, you’re 100 percent correct. Next time I see her we’ll have ourselves a talk. I promise.” I replied.  I was shocked by how concerned everyone was. First Sebastian and now them?

I realized the enormity of what I was facing. Shit was going to get really difficult. How the hell do you even bring up this kind of conversation? Fahck! I was glad when everyone started talking about the antics the kids had gotten into at school and home. I watched in amusement as Dodger kept going under the table to eat from the hands of the kids, who were not so stealthily feeding him. Discussion turned to what Scott was up to, and led to Mom reminiscing about the shit we pulled as kids.  It was nice to sit back and relax with everyone.  I was going to miss this when filming started and I had to be away so much.

After dessert everyone left and they gave me hugs of encouragement and wished me luck. Shanna threatened me if I didn’t keep her informed from now on.   I was helping Mom with the dishes when Scott called.  They talked while I finished up cleaning up the kitchen.  I was moving shit around in the refrigerator when Mom poked me in the back and handed me the phone.  

“Helloooooooooooo! Did you clean everything? Not gonna get your allowance if you miss a spot. You know the rules, Christopher!” Scott taunted.

“Fahck off!,” I countered back.  Mom gave me a shove and motioned for me to take Dodger outside. I turned on the backyard light and stepped out into the night.  Dodger immediately ran to the nearest tree and marked it with gusto.

“I missed out on pot roast, I’m so pissed! So, you stayin’ out of trouble?” Scott asked.

“Just getting ready to start filming again.  You know the routine.  I’m exhausted from training, but I’m ready to go at this point.”

“Got your muscles back, didja?  I know you, you’ve been flexing in the mirror again and checking yourself out.  So fucking glad I don’t have to share a bathroom with you anymore. You were such a pain in the ass and took forever in there,” he said with a laugh.  It was true, I did take my time fixing my hair.  I can’t count the number of times Mom had to bang on the door and tell me to get the hell out of there.

“Did you call just to give me shit? I got enough of that from Carly and Shanna tonight, so I’m good,” I joked.

“I know, Mom told me. I was going to call during dinner, but I got busy.  So, I’m going to bust your balls now. I got most of the story, but now I want to hear it from you.  How’d it go with her?” he inquired.

I sat down on the edge of a stone planter and watched as Dodger wandered around the yard.  I told  Scott about that initial dinner at our family’s favorite spot.  

“So we’re sitting there having dinner and I realize I  _ have _ to see her again, but I can’t figure out a way to make that work. I mean, she’s leaving the next morning, and this was my only chance to ask for her number.  How am I gonna do this without coming off as some douchebag actor?”  

I paused and took a breath.  I threw a tennis ball to Dodger and watched as he took off to chase it.

“I’m just thinking of scenarios in my head, and while I’m coloring with her niece I look up and Nicole’s just looking around, taking everything in. She just looks gorgeous, and I’m just racking my brains more now. Then she just looks at me. And everything just slows down, and I know we’re on the same page. Then the little nugget next to me perks up and says, ‘Tomorrow is Aunt Nicole’s birthday and we’re staying in Boston to celebrate.’ And there’s my answer.  I don’t have to say goodbye tonight.  I've got an extra day, another shot to see where this goes. So I volunteered to take them sightseeing.

I could hear Scott sigh, “Awwwww shit, you’ve really got it bad. Just don’t start writing poetry about her, you’re terrible at that kind of thing,” he said with a hearty laugh.

“Not planning on it, trust me. It’s just that the more time I spent with her, the more I realized I didn’t want this to be a one weekend deal.  Her family was great, but they just sealed the deal even more. Her brother really made sure he was looking out for his little sister, you know?  The stories I heard from them about the rest of the family, it just made me realize she’s like us, solid background.  There’s no bullshit with her. Fahck, I sound like a complete ass right now, don’t I?”

“No, you’re not an ass. Well, not at about this, anyway. The rest of the time you are.” We both laughed.  “The vibe I’m picking up from everyone is that they’re worried you’re headed into unknown territory.  This is new for you.  Shit, it’s new for us.  How many women have you brought home that were household names? Now you’ve got someone who works in an office out on Long Island.  Not that it’s a bad thing.”

“Everyone agreed that if I move forward with her, I’ve gotta tell her soon about  _ everything _ .”   
“That’s a given. You don’t want that to come out and hurt her.  You really serious about giving this a go?  This isn’t just some stupid infatuation? ‘Cause if it’s not, you’re gonna have to go above and beyond what you’re used to.  I don’t think she’s gonna settle for less.”

“You don’t think I’m bat-shit crazy for wanting to try?  I know there’s details and shit that have to be worked out. If she wants to try, I want to give it a go.”  I sighed and was glad when Dodger came over and burrowed his head into my side.  He always seems to pick up on when I’m stressed out.

“No, I think you’re growing up.  Finally.”  We both laughed lightly and Dodger seemed to realize I was feeling a bit better because he wanted to me to toss the ball again.  I gave it a good throw and he ran off to get it.

“So what do I do?  I don’t know where to start.  I spent today buying gifts for her, just small stuff, nothin’ fancy.  I even got her a stuffed sting-ray and named it Gordon. I realized later it was because my brain made the connection between Sting and his real name.”

“Gordon?  Ha! You know what would be funny?  Put a little sign around his neck and that says: Hi, my name is Gordon, feel free to sleep with me.  I like snuggles.”

We both laughed hysterically and I could hear Scott coughing from laughing so hard.  I wiped tears out of my eyes and dealt with Dodger getting worked up.  I gave him a big hug and buried my head into his fur.  Maybe I could make this work after all.  

Scott breathed hard into the phone and took a swig of something before continuing.  “First things first.  Let your peeps know that you’re interested in her.  They can give you some guidance on the do’s and dont’s. Then you need to make sure you close ranks, ‘cause you don’t want someone leaking this story and ruining her life.  Fuck, the best thing I can tell you Chris, is just to relax and see what happens from there.  You’ve already heard it, but be honest with her, you’ve gotta do that.  She needs to know what she’s facing and has to decide if that’s something she can put up with.  You need to respect whatever she chooses.  In the meantime, just get to know her better.  Whatever will be, will be.  You know how it goes.”

I put my head back and out a deep breath.  My little brother makes damned good sense sometimes. “You’re right.  I do know how it goes.  I’m just gonna roll with it.  I’m gonna have to talk to her soon and go from there.  I’m gonna be pissed if she walks away though, that shit would hurt so bad.  I can’t fault her for it though.  I’ll just take it day by day until then. Thanks for the advice, bro.”

“Bah, don’t get all sentimental on me.  I just want you to be happy.  WE just want you to be happy.  Listen to me. And Mom. And Carly. And Shanna.  Just so happens we know what we’re talking about. You good? ‘Cause if you are, I’m heading off. This sappy stuff is starting to get to me.”

Scott and I chatted a bit more and agreed to talk tomorrow.  We hung up and I gathered up Dodger’s toys and put them away.  We went back into the house and I realized my Mom was probably exhausted from dealing with all of us tonight.  Time for me to go home.  I kissed her goodnight, exchanging tight hugs before Dodger and I headed out.  

As soon as I got home I sent Nikki a text to see if she was free to talk.  Once she gave me the go ahead I gave her a call. 

“Hey there! How was your trip home?”

“Hi Chris! No complaints except for being super tired. We stopped at my parent’s house on the way to Ryan’s. I enjoyed another birthday dessert,” she admitted.

“What kind this time?”

“Ice cream cake.  Chocolate and Vanilla loaded with fudge and crunchies in the middle.  Mmm mmm good.”  She giggled as she made the last sound.

“You can nevah go wrong with ice cream cake,” I agreed, “What are you up to now?”

“Not much, just relaxing. Thinking about this amazing weekend I just had.”

“Really? Do tell.” I played along.

“Let’s see...I spent the weekend in Boston for my birthday and a contest for a charity I won.”

“A contest you say?”

“Yeah.”

“What was the reward?”

“I got to play in an Escape Room. Had to do it with this actor from a Marvel franchise.”

“Anyone I’d know?”

“Not likely, he’s not one of the leads or anything,” she sassed.

“Well, that sucks.”

“Yeah, he was pretty cool though.”

“Did you like him?”

“Honestly? He was pretty hot. Kinda funny too. Not a bad way to spend the day.”

“What else did you do with him?”

“He took us all around Boston the next day. It was fun!”

“Wait, was that part of the contest?”

“No, not at all.  He found out it was my birthday on Sunday and that we extended the trip for it.  Practically  _ begged _ to come sightseeing with us.”

“Sounds like a loser.”

“Nah, nothing like that.  He was really nice. Probably just lonely and bored.  I hope he gets some work soon.”

“If he’s part of Marvel I’m sure they’ll hook him up with something. And for the record, I didn’t beg.”

“You would have if I said no.”

“No, ah, well...maybe. I was trying to figure out a way to see you and it fell into my lap.”

“Do you think that was fate or dumb luck?

“Can I be honest?”

“Always.”

“I was coloring with Maddie, but my mind was on you. Trying to figure out how I could see you again.”

“And?”

“Then your niece gave me the answer.  I call it fate.”  It was quiet on the other end of the line for a moment, I heard her suck in a breath and slowly release it. I continued, “Now, important stuff.  What are you doing Memorial Day weekend? Could we see other?”

“Oh!  Um, I’d love to, but..”

Not the answer I was expecting to hear.  “But?”

“But, I kinda have plans.”

“Can you break them?”

"No.”

“Can you tell me what they are?”  I signed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose

“I have a weekend planned with my girls.  We’re meeting in Pennsylvania on Friday and I’m coming home on Monday.”

“That sucks. I mean it’s good for you, sucks for me. I was hoping you could come back and spend the weekend. My mom’s having a bbq.”

“I’m sorry. I made these plans months ago.  Not like I could’ve foreseen this y’know?”

“Well maybe you should’ve?”

“Should’ve what?”  

“Known to not make plans until  _ after _ the game.”

“Excuse me?  I didn’t even know about the contest when I made these plans.  And who the hell could’ve imagined I’d win?”

“Should've cancelled after...”

“Sure, cause I imagined something like this happening.”

“Why wouldn’t you have?  We're fahcking perfect together!”

“You’re right, we are.  But I’m still busy this weekend.”

“You know you wanna see me.  Cah-mon, admit it. Ditch the chicks and come to Bahston.”

“You are such an ass! Say, if I come to  _ Bahston _ , will you take me to the mahket for some lobstah chowdah? You can pahk the cah when you get thea. Maybe we can watch the Red Sox lose, ” she said chuckling.

I couldn’t help myself and barked out a laugh, “Um, what is UP with that ridiculous accent? I totally don’t sound like that. But I’ll have ya know I can  _ pahk a cah _ .  I know a great  _ mahket _ for  _ chowdah _ . And don’t be dissing on my Sox, ya little bitch.”

I heard her gasp, chuckling a bit, “Little bitch you say? I take it back. You’re not an ass Evans, you’re an assHOLE!”  I could tell she was trying to sound mad but it was hard with all the laughter erupting out of her.

“Ah c’mon, don’t be mad. Alright? I’m just playin’.”

“Yeah, well next time I win a contest where I get to meet an actor I love, and I know he’s single and hot, I’ll be sure to clear everything off my calendar just in case he likes me, okay?  Does that sound reasonable to you?”

“First of all, no more contests.  And number 2, ‘hot single actor you love’, you say?”

“Um, well, I do love your acting. I mean, no one can play a vulnerable, tortured 98 year old virgin like you can.”

“98 year…98 year old virgin? You think the Cap’s a  _ virgin _ ?“ I asked incredulously.

“It’s the most likely theory. I’ve had lengthy discussions with other fans about this . There’s a few that think post serum when he was doing the bond tour that he got to sow his oats a bit.  But for the most part we all agree virgin pre-serum, pining after Peggy and/or Bucky post serum.  Never felt comfortable in his skin enough to be a player, and went into the ice a virgin.  Still catching up with modern times.”

“What in the...?  You guys have waaaaay too much time on your hands.”  

“Ah, it’s all in good fun.”

“So if I can’t see you this weekend, I’ll have to work something else out once I get my work schedule. I should have something before I leave. I really want to see you again. The sooner the better.”

“I know the feeling.  How can I miss someone so much that I’ve know for only 2 days?  It’s insane.”

We talked for over 2 hours, until I heard her speech slurring slightly from sleep. I said goodnight to her and promised a call again tomorrow.  I headed off to bed myself, thinking about way too much as usual, until my mind finally quieted and I drifted off to sleep. 

I dreamt of a simpler life.  Mowing my lawn, while pushing toys and balls out of the way. Nicole picking vegetables from the garden to go with that evening’s dinner.  Dodger a bit older, chasing around some puppies, with some giggling toddlers chasing them. A peaceful life that I didn’t realize I yearned so much for until right now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a huge thank you to my beta for helping me so so much with this chapter. She co-wrote a lot of it with me when I couldn't find a way to voice Scott and pushed me to even write this side of the story at all. This all would have ended with her getting on a ferry Sunday morning if not for her.
> 
> Song used for inspiration during the writing of this chap was Again by Lenny Kravitz


	12. You're the One That I Want (Part 1 of 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Chris spend the next week getting to know each other long distance. They share a bit of fun during her traveling to the Poconos. This was originally published on Wattpad as one very long chapter (Chapter 10 - Bittersweet Symphony) but is being broken up into 3 parts here

Reality bites the big one sometimes. How were you supposed to resume a normal life after spending the last 3 days in Fantasyland? Not that there was really a choice though, you’d kinda  grown used to those pesky things like food, a car, and that roof over your head.

Over dinner at your parent’s house last night everyone had been sworn to secrecy, especially the kids.  You didn’t want to share details about what happened with Chris after your dinner date, but since your brother knew a good amount, you also couldn’t gloss over it all.  Other than your family and an extremely small number of friends, you had no intention of telling anyone else. Besides, you honestly didn’t know what to say.  You had a connection and you made out.  Where this was going from that point, it was pretty much unchartered waters.  

You woke up soooo tired on Tuesday morning.  The phone call from Chris lasted hours last night, until curled up on your couch, you could barely keep your eyes open and he called you on it.  You just didn’t want the call to end, irrationally afraid that like Cinderella, you too would lose everything at the stroke of Midnight.  This morning you found yourself burrowing into the covers of your queen sized bed, hiding from the sunlight and trying to get the urge to adult. After 3 smacks and a few sneers to the snooze button, you knew you could delay no more.  Dragging ass, you finally started to wake up after your shower.  

Now the bigger, more real problem was at hand.  How the fuck were you gonna keep that mirror you called a face from telling your secrets?  Just the thought of Chris gave you tingles in all the right places, causing a flush to spread across your chest, neck and face.  You could still remember the taste of his mouth, and those soft, plump lips. The way it felt when his arms and chest just enveloped you in their warmth and strength. The hickey at the swell of your breast, just peaking out above your bra cup, was your secret alone. You didn’t even tell Chris and you were able to hide it from everyone else by wearing a crew neck t-shirt yesterday. It was a reminder of the passion Chris had for you the other night and it made you hot all over again. There seemed to be no way to stop grinning as you applied makeup and got yourself ready for work.  

Your colleagues knew about the contest you’d won and the realization that there were bound to be questions suddenly brought on a ton of anxiety. 

“Think Nicole, you need a gameplan,” you pepped talked yourself.  Running through what the questions could be and planning your answers helped to calm your nerves and divert your focus.  Planning always did.

“How did it go? How was it meeting Chris Evans?”

“It was great!  The game was a lot of fun. Chris was exactly what you’d expect.  Funny, sweet, even better looking in person.”

“What did you do with Chris?”

“It was pretty much planned out by the charity.  There were a few photo sessions then we played the game for about an hour before going down the block for pizza and beer.  We weren’t allowed to take pictures because of legal issues with the contest and Omaze,”  you would say.  This would stop anyone from asking to see photos.

“What did you do for your birthday?”

“I did some sightseeing with my family, went to the aquarium and a few other places.  Chris had recommended we do the Duck Boat Tour so we hopped on that as well. Boston was beautiful.”

“Are you going to see him again?”

“No, It was just a few hours for the contest, nothing more.  But I’m glad I got the chance to meet him.  It was a wonderful experience.”

Yep, that should about cover it.  You rehearsed your answers over and over while you finished getting ready, and continued doing so in the car on the way to work.  By the time you reached your office the responses were second nature.  When one of your close work friends saw you come in and rushed over, you knew it was do or die time.  Thankfully, you guessed the common questions correctly, she asked several of the ones you’d practiced for and she seemed to buy your answers completely.  Why wouldn’t she?  Who in their right mind would think Chris Evans would be interested in you?

Still, you didn’t completely trust your marquee face, so you tried to avoid as many people as possible. Missing even one day of work caused a backlog of files, but you were grateful for the distraction.  Keeping busy also allowed you to keep your conversations with people brief, while also keeping your mind off of the meatball.  

That is until said magical meatball sent you a text around lunch time.

_ My Captain:  Hey beautiful, just checking to see how your day’s going _

_ Nicole:  Hey yourself handsome! Crazy busy but really can’t complain.  What are you up to today? _

_ My Captain:  Absolutely nothing.  I’m taking it easy until next week. Just a quick workout today, that’s it. _

_ Nicole:  Slacker. _

_ My Captain:  Hey! They’re gonna be kicking my ASS starting next week.  This is my last shot to be lazy. _

_ Nicole:  True.  Get to start throwing that giant frisbee again. _

_ My Captain:  Seriously? _

_ Nicole:  It’s an awesome frisbee.  I want one…. Can I get one? _

_ My Captain:  No! _

_ Nicole:  Pretty please? _

_ My Captain:  Not gonna happen.  You have disrespected the shield.   _

_ Nicole:  But I love it…. Pleeeease. (I’m giving you Puss n Boots eyes) _

_ My Captain:  Tell ya what.  If you come by my place one day I may just let you touch it. _

_ Nicole:  Excuse me?  LOL _

_ My Captain:  The shield, I meant the shield.  Get ya mind outta the gutter. _

_ Nicole:  Never.  Can’t make me. Kinda like it down here.  It’s nice and wet. _

_ My Captain:  Excuse Me? LOL _

_ Nicole:  The gutter… what did you think I was referring too, hmmm? _

_ My Captain:  How did a simple “how are you” go South so quickly? _

_ Nicole:  Maybe because we both like to go South? _

_ My Captain:  Jesus woman!   _

_ Nicole:  You started it!  But I need to stop  it.  You caught me at the end of my lunch, time to put on my big girl panties and dive into work again. _

_ My Captain:  Put on your ‘big girl panties’?  What other kind of panties have you been wearing missy? _

_ Nicole:  None. _

_ My Captain:  Say what? _

_ Nicole:  What _

_ My Captain:  Even over text you’re a smartass huh?  Ok if I call ya tonight? _

_ Nicole:  I’d love that.  I’ve got some errands to run but I’ll be home after 8 _

_ My Captain:  Behave yourself till then.  Keep your britches on woman, it’s a place of business!! _

_ Nicole:  I promise to try.  Enjoy your lazy day ya lucky bastid! _

Lunch was taken at your desk to avoid any more prying peeps as well as trying to catch up from your day off.  Seeing as where these text messages ended up going, you were grateful for having the foresight to close your office door during lunch.  At least you were free to blush, smile, and laugh with your back to the door, looking out your window and wondering if Chris had the same view of the sky.

True to his word he called you Tuesday night, and there ensued another 3 hour phone session.  Once again, there was no direction to the conversation, topics jumping all over the place and constant laughter. When you got home from your weekly Wednesday night dinner with your parents, you Facetimed him as planned.

Through the phone you gave him a tour of your one bedroom apartment, happy when he commented on little things he noticed here and there.  The rooms here were all pretty large and you were proud of the way you maintained it. It would have been nice to have your own little house but the prices on Long Island made it near impossible for a single woman. The best part of video chatting was being able to see that face when he laughed.  A few times he used the phone that was in his hand and it was like being on a high speed roller coaster ride as he slapped his left boob, apologizing when he realized what he’d done.   Not that you minded, you laughed so hard at it you nearly pissed yourself.  

Dodger got to know you and would send a few kisses over the phone too, long tongue licking the screen when you called out to him.  

The nightly talks were like a trip down memory lane, sparking long forgotten moments to come back to life for each of you.  Suddenly a trip to the beach as a kid where a crab bit you on the finger came to mind when Chris started talking about a run in with a giant fish.  He remembered a wheelbarrow race gone awry when you talked about doing a potato sack race with your nephew for his birthday.  

By Thursday the chaos of work and the questions from your co-workers had died down.  Things were back to normal, for them at least.  For you, the evenings had become something to look forward to, for more than just your favorite tv shows.

Waiting on your doorstep was a box, which you found odd, because you didn’t remember ordering anything.  Taking it inside you noticed an address from Boston, but no name.  Intrigued you got out a knife to slice open the package.  There was a note sitting on top of all individually wrapped presents.  

“ _ Nicole,  I was hoping to give this to you in person, but you had to go and make plans this weekend (how dare you!) I hope you like them, nothing fancy, just some reminders of your best birthday ever. I was going to include a bottle of Holy Water from that church but I was afraid the place would burn down if I tried to enter again. You kinda ruined my halo, I was practically an Altar Boy until you came into my life.   Yours, Chris… P.S.  Sox rule, Mets drool. _ ”

Smiling and biting your lip to suppress your laughter, you began unwrapping your parcels, each wrapped in Red Sox gift paper, you noted with a chuckle.  First thing was an oddly shaped round object that turned out to be a moon printed stress ball.  From bubble wrap, a shot glass with his hometown etched on it.  There was post-it note inside that said: “Because it’s the best town in MA.”  You shook your head, rolling your eyes as you set it down on the counter.  A book called “The Essential Rumi” came next, inside was a bookmark with a printed picture of the Eiffel Tower.  You smiled at this, happy he took note of your love of Paris and remembering a poem on Chris’ twitter page. You knew he was also a fan.  Next, there was an unwrapped sweatshirt.  When you unfolded it to see the front, you noticed it was similar to one you’d seen Chris wear in a photo (Sudbury MA, of course), and another item fell out. You picked it up and laughed out loud, clutching it to your chest.  A stuffed stingray with a sign that said: “ _ Hi, my name is Gordon, feel free to sleep with me, I love snuggles. _ ”  You held the stingray under your arm as you opened a box that held a small swan statue.  You sighed, remembering being snuggled against Chris in the sunshine during your ride on the boat. A wooden block that said “To The Moon And Back.” was tucked into the side of the box.  You teared up a little, because even though he probably didn’t mean it this way, you knew the line from a children’s book you owned named, ‘Guess How Much I Love You?” You had bought it to keep at your place and read it to the kids when they slept over.  A baby rabbit competes with his daddy for who loves the other more.  In the end the baby rabbit says he loves him to the moon.  The daddy rabbit replies, “I love you to the moon, and back.” It was one of your favorite books.  You smiled when you saw that there were two candles with the Sandcastles scent you told him about.  You took a deep sniff of one, enjoying the aroma that reminded you of Coppertone and summertime.  The last item was a complete surprise.  A Harry Potter box and quote with a skeleton key inside.  It turned out to be a keychain (awesome!).  It made you think of the Escape room, and the damn box you were fighting with when Chris came over to flirt with you. Was that really only 5 days ago?  

Checking the time you sent Chris a text to see if he was free to talk.  You got a call a few minutes later.

“Hi babe, whatcha doin’?” he asked, as if he had no idea you had received your gifts.

“Oh nothing much, just opening up this box I got from somebody in Boston.  Too bad they didn’t include a mini fire extinguisher, because now I’m trying to figure out the best way to burn wrapping paper in my apartment.  Any ideas?”

“You wouldn’t!  That’s blasphemy you know.”

“Are you kidding me?  If I was a Yankees fan I’d get a trophy for doing it.”

“If you were a Yankees fan, I don’t think we’d even be on this call right now.”

“That jealous of them are you?”

“Jealous?  Of the fahckin Yankees?  You’re kiddin’ me right now.  Right? Please say you’re kiddin’ me.”

“Well, Jeter’s gone, so I guess they aren’t all that cool anymore.”

“I hope you saved every piece of that paper, smoothed it out, and folded it so you could give the best wrapped presents to everyone from now on.”

You found yourself actually smoothing the paper out as he said the words.  Chris’ voice was so mesmerizing. Damn, this could be dangerous.

“In all seriousness, thank you so much for all of it.  I’m actually tearing up a bit over here, not gonna lie.  This was so completely unexpected and thoughtful.  What made you do this?”

“I don’t know, I just thought it would be nice to have some little reminders, y’know.”

“You’re a hopeless romantic, you know that Chris?” you said softly.

“Yeah, I may have heard that once or twice from my Mom,”  he confessed.  

“Just so you know, Gordon is the cutest little non-barky stingray ever, and he’s sooo coming with me to meet the girls this weekend.”

“Just be careful that you don’t dislodge the camera I snuck into him.”

“Thanks for the warning, I’ll be sure to turn him around when I’m undressing.”

“Turn him around like, towards you, or away from you?”

“Depends on whether he’s been a good boy or a bad one.”

“Faaaahck, you’re killing me Nic!”

“By the way, what made you pick up the skeleton key?  I mean I absolutely love it, but I don’t remember telling you I have a thing for them.”

The phone was silent for a minute or so, it struck you as odd.  You wondered if perhaps he had lost the connection or had pressed the mute button somehow.  

“Chris?  You still there?  Did I lose you?”   

He returned, sounding a bit frazzled, talking fast, you had an odd feeling but couldn’t pinpoint what it was about.  You shook it off and got yourself a water from the fridge, pulling out some ingredients for a nice simple grilled cheese tonight.  You hadn’t done much shopping since you were going away for several days, slim pickings for dinner.

“Yeah, all good, I’m here.  Sorry about that, um, had to let Dodger out.  I, ah, missed that last part.  You said you like everything?”  

You had just gotten the buttered bread down into the pan and quirked an eyebrow,  “I do, I love it all.  I just can’t figure out how you would know about my thing for keys.”

“Um,I didn’t!  I, ah, oh, it reminded me of the key you held at the end of the game, remember?  The big prop?”

“Oh, that’s right! I’d forgotten about that.  Damn, you have a really good memory Chris.”

He changed the subject suddenly, but you were busy making sure your sandwich didn’t burn so you just went with it, your curiosity forgotten.  “You all ready for tomorrow?  Done all your packing?”

Taking a bite of the cheesy goodness you sat down at the kitchen table, grabbing your water along the way, “I’m not even close.  Maybe I can put you on speaker while I get some stuff together?  Would you mind?”  you asked, not wanting to give up talking to Chris just to pick out clothes.

“Don’t mind at all.  Maybe we can Facetime and you can show me what you’re wearing this weekend?”

Checking the forecast for the Poconos, you were delighted to see mostly sunny with daytime highs in the 70’s, and evenings dipping down into the 40’s.  Your gameplan was comfort in everything from your super soft cotton pajamas to your t-shirts, shorts, and jeans  For jewelry, you just grabbed your silver hoops and some dangly silver ones, the necklace the kids got you, and of course the bracelet from Chris that you now wore every day. Maybe you would enlist his help to pick out what you wore to dinner.

You started the video chat with him after gathering your toiletries, making little piles of items as you went along so you could check everything before packing them.  Going through the choices for evening wear, Chris was choosing outfits that were more on the Grandma side than Single Girl side.  He made a comment about you behaving and staying away from guys.  You told him you’d think about it, while removing the hanger from the dark purple wrap dress he had vetoed because of the deep v-neck.  He implored you to put it back on the hanger, you stuck out your tongue at him as you carefully folded the dress and added it to a pile.  It was one of your favorites and it was coming.  He was pouting, you were smirking, it was fun. You also packed a black and white striped maxi dress for dinner tomorrow night and a pair of dark jeans with a button-down emerald green shirt for another evening.

Excusing yourself, you left the phone in your room and went to the kitchen to make a quick cup of tea and pack up some snacks you purchased for the weekend.  You returned just a few minutes later, steaming cup in hand.

“So, it’s just the three of you meeting up this weekend?” Chris asked nonchalantly, when you came back into view.  It was evident by his expression, despite his tone, that he was on a fishing expedition.

“So far, but you never know what hitchhikers we may come across in our travels.”  You said this equally nonchalant, taking a sip, looking at the daywear pile and mentally debating if you should take an extra shirt and pair of shorts.  

“Hey now, there will be no picking up of any men on this trip, on the road or elsewhere!”  You had his attention now, he was smiling but it wasn’t reaching his eyes.

“Relax your ass, Cap, I’m only teasing you.  My cousin, Jade, is a cyber crime investigator for the State of New Jersey.  The shit she’s seen go down, girl would have a fit if we picked up some random guy.  It’s hysterical, her brain’s like a computer. Guy gives his name and you can almost see her fingers twitching to type it into the database and check him out,”  you shared while laughing at the image of her in your mind.

Jovial again, Chris continued his interrogation.  “You’re pretty close with her right?”

Going to your closet again, you pulled out your sneakers and a pair of black strappy sandals to add to the bed.

“Yes we are. We got super tight since we were about 19. She’s from Jersey, so I called her to say I was heading to Great Adventure with some friends and invited her along. We’ve been peas in a pod ever since. Before that it was pretty much just seeing each other for holidays.  Her Mom is my dad’s half-sister and a truly wonderful woman. Her dad is a an abusive asshole that my Aunt smartly divorced when Jade was a teen.  I get along with her siblings as well, but the two of us just have this special bond.

Realizing you hadn’t packed undergarments you playfully sauntered over to the highboy where the phone was resting, a wicked little grin on your face.

“Um, what’s that face all about? Not that I’m complaining, it’s sexy as hell.”

“Nothing babe, just realized I needed to come near you so I could pick out my lingerie for the weekend.”

“Lingerie?” You saw him sit up straighter, looking down as if he could see beyond what the phone allowed, when he heard the drawer open. “Why do you need lingerie… what the hell do you girls do when you’re together? You know… I wouldn't object if you should accidentally start Facetime with me while you’re there.”  He said the last part with a eyebrow waggle and a devious little tone in his voice.  

“No can do. We have pillow fights in sheer baby doll tops, ruffled panties and garter stockings while we practice tying cherry stems into knots with just our tongues,” you sassed.  He wanted to play, you could play too. “You would be so bored watching us.”

You heard him scoff. “Oh yeah, sounds like a nightmare, please make sure Gordon’s camera is facing away from all that.”

You made a mental note to the squeeze the hell out of that stuffed animal to check for a camera in case he wasn't completely joking.

Thinking about your tops for the weekend, you grabbed a few bras that would go nicely without clashing or showing through your color choices. Even if you had no one to see them, nice undergarments had been a splurge since your 20’s. For some reason it just made you feel more confident and pulled together.

Putting your choices on the top of the dresser next to your phone, you slowly pulled out a dark purple bra that had black lace running halfway up the cups. Holding it up in front of Chris you asked innocently, “Is this too much under that wrap dress?  It has the deepest neckline and it has a bit of a push-up effect from the front closure.  Should make the girls look good.”  You danced the bra in front of you, wiggling your brows and giving him a sly smile, giggling when you heard Chris practically groan as he threw his head back.  

“You love to fahckin tease me don’t you.”  The hand not holding his phone was flying everywhere.  “It’s bad enough you’re wearing that dress, but now you gonna add that too!”

“Oh, almost forgot the matching panties!  Hold on a sec.”  You ducked your head down out of view of the camera, putting a hand in front of your mouth to suppress the laughter that was trying to come out.  This is not how you planned to be packing, but it was so much more fun now.

“Aha, here they are, and a second black set for my Saturday night dress. No extra push-up on this one, just a simple black satin, with the matching panties of course.”

“If you hear pounding on the door at that place, you better come answer to let me in.  Just sayin’.”

You grabbed some socks, then gathered everything to bring to the bed. Taking another few sips of your tea your checked your inventory. Looked good, all accounted for, time to pack it up. 

“So who’s the other friend, Dani right? Have you really known her since you were kids?” he asked, apparently trying to get more details on who were spending your weekend with over him.

“I’ve known her almost since birth actually, born just a few months apart.  Our parents met in college, and our moms were roommates and best friends.  When they started dating the men who would become our dads, the foursome became inseparable. Her parents did real well for themselves, ended up living in Charleston.  My parents moved to Brooklyn and eventually Long Island.  We were never well off like her family, but we never wanted for much either.  The cool thing about her folks is that you’d never know they were wealthy, aside from the house I mean.  They’re so down to earth, I adore them.  We vacationed at their place a lot and the families went away together at least once a year,” you explained.  

“You said she’s a writer?”

“Yes, a novelist.”

“Anything I’d know?” he inquired.

You stopped packing and thought carefully about your answer. The t-shirt in your hands slowly got folded before you answered.

“I reeallly don’t think you read the kind of books she writes.  But, I’d bet your sisters would,” raising your eyebrows and giving him a sly smile over the screen.

“Oh shit! Does she write stuff like those books all the girls were going nuts over with the tie…”

“Oh no.  No.  You can’t compare the writing style of a first grader with that of a senior.  But as far as content goes, you’re on the right track.”

“Y’know, I’ve always wondered about people who write those books.  Do they get their ideas from real life or from reading about it themselves?”

You tried to hide the awkward smile, this was a topic you loved to tease your friend about.  “Um, a little of both.  There’s research, and then there’s ‘research’ (you said in air quotes) that goes into it.  Sometimes she draws inspiration from people she’s talked to.”

“You ever give her inspiration?” he asked, his voice a bit deeper now, and a little more serious.

“I plead the fifth.  But I will say that I’ve had 2 books dedicated to me, and I’ve made the acknowledgments page under a pseudonym several times.  But that’s all you’re getting outta me tonight buddy.”  Finished with your packing, you left the room to roll your small suitcase by the front door, but also to give your red face some time to go back to normal.

You took the phone off the dresser, and continued your talk with Chris in the living room.  The tv was on for background noise, but you only had eyes for the man on your phone.  You truly did enjoy the hell out of this guy. You couldn’t wait to see him in person again, be able to wrap your arms around him, kiss those lips…   

It was another hour before you finally had to say goodnight or you would never be able to function for work and the long drive you had tomorrow.  You hated saying goodnight to Chris, knowing you wouldn’t be able to have these long chats with him for several days, and after Monday it would be very sporadic because of filming.  The only consolation was knowing that tomorrow night, you would finally have people you could share your secret with, and spill every detail to.  Thank God, cause you were bursting at the seams.

By noon time Friday you were jumpy, and ready to get going. The office was closing half day for the long holiday. You hurried out to your car, with your bags already packed in the trunk, along with lots of snacky stuff for your crew.  Finally, you were out on the highway, driving off of Long Island, and beginning the torturous trek over the George Washington Bridge. You called your parents to say ‘Hi’ during this part of your trip, knowing you probably wouldn’t get to call again until Monday night.

Traffic was a beast today.  It took almost 2 hours to make it through New York City and reach a fast food joint in New Jersey for a restroom and a quick bite to eat.  At least from here the hotel in Pennsylvania was only another couple of hours drive. You sent Chris a text to update him, since last night he admitted he was nervous about you driving such a long distance by yourself.  As if you hadn’t driven this much, and farther, alone. You had to admit, it was kinda nice to have someone concerned for you.  It was something you could get used to.

10 minutes or so after you got back on the road, you were singing along to the Ipod you had on shuffle, when you got a call over your bluetooth from Chris.  He couldn’t help himself, and had to to check up on you.  After catching him up on your travels so far he was chastised for interrupting your singing time.

“Whatd’ya talking about Nic?  How am I doing that?”

“Because you’re on my bluetooth, which means my tunes get cut off.  I do a mean carpool karaoke buddy, you know that first hand.  It helps distract me while I drive.”

“Oh what, I’m not distracting enough?” you heard him scoff, lowering his voice to a sexy low tone. God damn that voice, it could sound sexy reading a dictionary.

“As a matter of fact, yes, you are overly distracting, but that’s another conversation for another day.”  Yeah, you were squirming in your seat.  Shit just his voice alone made you hot.

“You know what….Hold up, I got an idea.”

You heard a lot of rustling, Dodger barked at Chris asking what his human was up to (earning a good boy from what you heard), before he finally returned to the phone.  

“If it’s karaoke you want, it’s karaoke you get. Let’s do this shit!” exuberant, and wait, was that the tinkling of piano keys you heard?  No. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. Yes, he did.

“You’ve got a piano there?” you asked, completely surprised.  

“Yep!” he quipped back, with an emphasis on the “p.”  “Gotta be ready in case some poor young lady needs music in her car while talking to some annoying dork. Sooo, what’ll it be?”

You were stunned, and couldn’t think of a single song all of a sudden.  Complete blank.  “Ahh, what do you know how to play?” you stalled.  

“I can play around with most things, far from perfect but it’ll be close enough to decipher the tune.  Here, I’ll play something we can both sing, okay?”

With that, you heard the familiar beginnings to a song you’d listened to hundreds of times over the course of your life, being a fan of the movie since you were a kid.  

“ _ I’ve got chills, they’re multiplying!  And I’m looooosing control... _ .”  This couldn’t be happening, could it?  Chris Evans could not be expecting you to duet with him to “You’re the One That I Want.”  But when you didn’t hit your line, he started playing your intro over and reminded you of the first word (like you didn’t know it!)

“ _ You better shape up. Cause I need a man. And my heart is set on you. _ ” Once you started, things just flowed.  The smile on your face was so big you could barely see the road because your cheeks were pushing your eyes closed.  Things were going great, until you got cocky and decided to try hitting the note at the end.  You normally sang it by going down an octave, but you were feeling like a rockstar right now.  It was a mistake.  A big mistake.  Once Chris stopped laughing at you he demanded you apologize to Dodger for ruining his hearing.  

“That was awesome Nic, wanna do another one?” he sounded so happy, you could see him grinning while sitting at the keys.

“You twisted my arm.  Can I pick this time?  Let me know if it’s something you know.”

“Shoot, what’s your wish?”

“Do you know ‘ _ Piano Man _ ’?”

“As a matter of fact… well, let’s see.”  You heard him practicing a few times, before getting the rhythm of the song.  You sang most of it, Chris picking up on the chorus so he could focus on the playing.

“My turn.  I think you’re gonna like this one sweetheart, but you need to start it.” He began the first few notes, and you teared up as you recognized the song instantly.  This was getting fucking surreal.  You were floating on a cloud while driving and singing the first few iconic words.  

“ _ Tale as old as time. True as it can be _ .”

Chris has chosen Beauty and the Beast, your favorite Disney movie as he found out this week.  Mother. Fucker. Did he know he had you at “Hello?”

By this time, you were only about 30 minutes from the hotel and between talking, laughing and a few more songs, the ride went by in a flash.  You pulled into a spot, said goodbye to him and promised to text him tonight.  Getting your bags from the trunk, you entered the hotel with a gigantic grin on your face, excited to see your oldest and dearest girlfriends and finally have people to confide in.  You went the front desk to retrieve your room number and key then took the elevator upstairs.  The Skytop Lodge was breathtaking.  Rich wood, oriental carpets, plush sofas in abundance, ginormous windows on both sides of the lobby letting in tons of light. The view was unreal, with trees and carefully manicured lawns as far as the eye could see. Jade had made a wonderful choice this year.  


	13. Skytop Lodge - (Part 2 of chapter chapter 12)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions, fun and reality checks begin as Nicole meets her best friend and cousin at the Skytop Lodge to begin their weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a big huge thank you goes out to 2 amazingly fun and talented women who helped me tremendously by voicing their characters. Writing and bringing life to Nicole's cousin Jade is my  
> overworked and underpaid beta (who will be joining this site soon). Writing and bringing life to Dani is fellow Archive user SaffreeLove. I never would have gotten to the angst and the realness of this chapter and future chapters without them. I would have been soooo much easier on Nicole if I had to voice her friends myself, but these girls were having none of that and reacted the way real bff's would. It made the story thicker and richer and me a better writer for it.

A millisecond after you opened the door to the room and entered you were under attack. There was barely time to let out a yelp before Dani had let out a huge squeal and grabbed you, hugging so tightly that she knocked you off balance causing you both to crash into the door behind you.  

Laughing hysterically you squeezed her back, “I missed you too sista!”  

Jade came out of the bathroom to see what the commotion was about, shaking her head as she smiled at the pair of goofballs in her view.  After extracting yourself, you went to greet your cousin, hugging her tightly and exaggeratingly swaying your bodies side to side before giving her a pinch in the tush.  They had been in the room for almost an hour and were already unpacked.  You spotted a bottle of Tequila on the desk with 2 shot glasses beside it.  They had gotten you one from the hotel as a souvenir already.  Gotta love your girls.   

“Sooo, 2 Queen sized beds and a sofa, who’s called dibs to what already?” you asked as you stood in the center of the room, unsure where to go.

“I’m taking the pull out couch. It’s comfy and more importantly it’s closer to the tv,” explained Jade.  

Looking around the room you realized it was as plush and lovely as the rest of the hotel.  There was even a mini fridge, that upon further inspection was packed with a few each of root beer, coke zero, grapefruit soda, pepsi and bottled waters. The extras were carefully stacked on top for easy replenishment.  Next to the shot glasses was a large tote that looked liked a composition notebook.  It was full of snacks, and you brought your goodies over and began unpacking, reading off the items as a mental inventory.  

“Let’s see...we have chocolate chip cookies, chocolate bars, chips, candy, chocolate covered pretzels (you heard Jade yell ‘those are mine’). I brought the same but different brands. Great minds think alike.”

The next half hour was spent catching up with the girls about all of your families and their hijinx,  work shenanigans, and then reviewing game plans for the weekend. You and Dani broke in the new shot glasses, having a couple of shots of tequila. You unpacked what you needed to during these conversations  The feeling of love and contentment you always got when you were in the company of these women just kept growing. You used to talk to them all the time by phone, but with technology there came less weekly chats and more daily texts and messenger communication. It was nice to hear their voices again.

**“** So, I keep waiting to hear about a certain weekend, and yet almost an hour here and nothing?” Jade said with a smirk.

Dani glanced at Jade and then looked at you suspiciously. “You think she’s avoiding it? Hiding something? Or was meeting Chris Evans really so boring that there's nothing to discuss with us?”

You couldn’t help but smile shyly and hide your face in your hands, because you could feel how red it had become. “No, anything BUT boring.  I have some things to share about it actually. I wanted to be with you guys in person before I told you about this.  You already know how I did the Escape with Chris Evans thing last weekend   Well, there was maybe a little more to it than I initially let on…”

Jade let out a laugh and said, “I knew it had to be something. You barely posted about it on Facebook, and Ryan didn't say much about it either. So, spill it. What'd you do with the Cap?”

Biting your thumb and trying to suppress a smile, you shot looks between the girls. “Question should be more like, what  _ didn't _ I do with the Cap?”  The shocked look on their faces set you off into a fit of laughter. You’d  been dying to talk to them about him. Now that you had the chance your nerves started getting the better of you.

Dani let out an audible gasp and exclaimed, “You ho! You got down and dirty with Chris Evans and you’re only telling us now?!? Where was the blow-by-blow running text commentary? Where are the pictures??”  

You could hear the excitement in her voice during the last sentence.  Despite being a writer, Dani was a very visual person, so she would want photos.

“For real?” Jade could only shake her head in disbelief. “How are we just hearing about this now?” She proceeded to punch you in the arm, not so hard, but hard enough so you knew she meant business. “I can't believe you had sex with him...well, I can, but, still. After all this time, you finally did it! Wait, wait! You were careful, right?” she asked with a serious expression.

Doubling over with laughter, you couldn’t help but smile at them as well as rub your arm, “Ow! Should of seen that coming, Jade. I had to wait to tell you guys. Couldn't miss seeing your reactions! Although sorry to disappoint, I’m exaggerating a bit, there was no blowing, or sex, just a lot of HOT kissing. To be honest, if his mom wasn't such a cock blocker there may have been more but...” 

“Oh my God! I can’t believe you just called Lisa Evans a cock-blocker!” Dani was having trouble breathing from laughing so hard.

Jade was laughing hysterically and said, “But she seems like such a nice person!”

“She’s very nice, but she totally iced us!” You smiled thinking of Chris’ mom and what had happened.  “I can't remember the last time I just WANTED someone so badly. I’m telling ya, I had no control!  If she hadn't called Chris, I may have ended my drought right there in the car. We had such an amazing weekend. He spent my entire birthday sightseeing around Boston with us. We went out to dinner alone and later, in his car, it got so intense he pulled of the road and we just ATTACKED each other. It was incredible! Until Lisa called. So, like I said. Cock blocker.”

Jade had stopped laughing, and was frowning a bit. “Wow, you had a busy weekend. You two got together pretty quickly.”

“That's the crazy part. It was only one weekend but it felt like we’d known each other forever. We just have this connection, this...zing, almost from the moment we met. It just keeps growing stronger,” you said with a smile. It felt good to talk about all of this finally.

You could see the worried look on Jade’s face as she glanced nervously at Dani, and then looked back at you. “I want to tell you that I’m happy for you, but now I’m worried.  You only spent one weekend with him, so how do you know it’s getting stronger? Have you even talked to him since? I’m sorry, Nic, this just kinda caught us off guard.” Jade looked pleadingly to Dani, seeking backup.

Nodding her head in agreement, Dani said, “Nic, Jade has a good point. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but…”

A bit taken aback by their reactions, you looked around the room, trying to think of a way to convey how you were feeling. Furrowing your brow you looked at your cousin, “As a matter of fact I talk to him every night, Jade. Hours on end since Monday. Text messages during the day.  I even talked to him on my ride here.”  You turned to look at Dani as well, “Look, I get it guys. I’m telling you both as my closest friends, because I know I can trust you to be honest and keep a secret.” You leaned in closer to them, gesturing with your hands to make your point. “I feel like this could be something.  He’s an amazing man, there’s so much more to him than people think. 

Looking at you, Jade asked point blank, “Do you really think dating an actor is the best idea?”

You could feel yourself getting a bit defensive, you answered back, perhaps a bit snippy.  “Who cares if he’s an actor? I don't give a shit about his fame! I’ll admit to being a little starstruck when I first got introduced, who wouldn’t be?  But an hour later, we were joking around together, flirting in the escape room and he stopped being ‘Chris Evans’ and started just being Chris. Honestly, I think that's part of what he likes about me.” Falling back into the chair, you sighed and contemplated the concern that was written on the faces of the girls. “What am I supposed to do? Spend the rest of my life wondering what might have been, or tell him I’m afraid of the pressure of being with a celebrity and to screw off?” you asked softly.

Dani looked thoughtfully at you and smiled.“Don’t tell him to fuck off, that’s Captain America! Sorry, I gotta add levity. But, seriously, if you are going to move forward, just exercise some caution. I realize you already know a shit ton about him from interviews and whatnot, but that’s not necessarily the real guy. I’m not saying he’s a horrible person, so stop glaring at me Nic. Just treat him as if you didn’t already know everything about him.”

Jade laughed and pointed, “She does glare really well, doesn’t she?  If it’s something you want to pursue, then do it, but make sure you’re both on the same page.  We’re not going to say anything to anyone, so you can talk to us, ok? We do want to hear  _ everything _ . This is just a lot to take in.” With a big smirk, she said, “I especially want to hear the naughty bits.”

“Oh, yes, I’m gonna need you to divulge those naughty bits asap. And, hmmmm, I feel like you need a mission. I need to know if his ass is really as awesome as it appears.” Dani said with an evil grin on her face. She was clearly enjoying seeing you suffer through this.

“Yep, I think it’s important that we know that much. May make us like him even more,” Jade added with a wink.

Tension diffused, you felt lighthearted again as you laughed.  You moved towards them, hugging it out, before spinning around and sitting on the edge of the bed.  “Dat ass?!  God! It felt amazing to grip it while I rode his thigh. He’s got lips like sugar, and nothing but hard muscle everywhere I touched him...and I do mean everywhere.” The shocked sounds the girls made delighted you.  You quirked up one eyebrow and pointed at both of your friends. “I will tell you more about  _ that _ large naughty bit once we decide on dinner cause I’m starving!  What time is the reservation?”

Looking at her watch, Jade said, “I made it for 7, just in case anyone showed up late.  I like how you’re changing the subject though, that’s real nice of you”. Turning to Dani, she added,  “She’s so freaking evil.”

“Well, let’s go. We need to get food and more alcohol in Nic to get the down low about that booty.” Dani clearly wanted more juicy details, and grabbed her things quickly while motioning for everyone to head for the door.

“I’m in!  I’ll even buy the first round of shots to loosen her up more.   Let’s get this show on the road,” Jade said cheerfully, following behind Dani.

“I’m fucked, aren’t I?” You gathered up your purse and cellphone, catching up to the girls.   “You know what, I’ve just decided I don’t kiss and tell.”

Dani already had the door open and was walking out, when she turned and said, “Oh, whatever. Couple of Blow Job shots and you’d tell us about that night in college with Dr. Forrester.” She walked out into the hallway, smiling at the shocked look on your face.

Hearing this, Jade bounded after her exclaiming, “Wait! What happened with Dr. Forrester?”

Dinner was at the Lakeview Restaurant, just a short walk from the main lodge where you were staying. As you walked through the cool mountain air, you immediately felt lighter.  You and the girls laughed and talked on your way down to the lake, enjoying the beautiful scenery that surrounded you. When you arrived, the staff was wonderful and attentive, and you quickly were placed at a table with a gorgeous view of the lake.  Everyone was quiet for a bit while reviewing the menu.  There were some wonderful choices here.  You and Jade opted for the Strip Steak with Caesar salads, Dani chose the Roasted Beet Salad and the Maple Brined Duck. There was a basket of crostini on the table, and you each took a slice.

Jade ordered a ginger ale, but you knew you were in deep shit when Dani excused herself and headed to the bartender directly.  You could barely look and began shaking your head, bracing yourself for what was coming your way.  She was in full flirt mode and the man didn’t stand a chance against her charms.  She returned a few minutes later with a smirk that showed she was up to no good.

That evil smile from earlier was back again as she began talking,  **“** My dear Nicole, in the hopes that this is the first of _ many  _ to soon come...pun intended...here's a Screaming Orgasm for you. Cheers bitch!"

You all had a good laugh at her choice of drink. Through tears in your eyes, you clinked glasses with these amazing women and settled in for some more catching up.  

You took a big sip from your delicious drink, and turned to Jade.  “I heard you mention something before about a problem with your cubicle at work?  Not getting along with the giant?” you asked her, curious and amused by the image.

Taking a sip of her ginger ale, Jade laughed and said, “The giant is proving to be interesting.  He now has a drawer full of assorted snacks.  I’m not sure if he’s copying me, but they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?  I don’t have a problem with him, per se, but it’s a bit unnerving to be in a tiny cubicle with a guy who’s 6’8” tall.  When he pushes back from his desk, his chair always slams into the back of mine.” She made a face and then said, “He’s just always so damn polite.  It gets on my nerves on sometimes.”

“I could definitely see that being intimidating, but maybe he’s sweet on you.  What kind of snacks are we talking about here?  Has he asked you to taste his rainbow?” You asked with a giggle, and taking another swig of your drink.  This screaming orgasm was delicious, and was going down way too easily.

Laughing and coughing at the same time, Jade declared,  **“** No, nothing like that at all!” Her face was now bright red, and her ears were changing color as well.  “It’s just...snacks.  He likes red hots and hard candies.  He does have a giant bag of M&M’s from Costco, but I have no idea how he fits it into that drawer.”

**“** Maybe he’s accustomed to sticking large items into small spaces?” Dani remarked innocently, while sipping her drink. There was a twinkle in her eyes as she said it.

Turning a brighter shade of red, Jade narrowed her eyes and asked, “Wow, I thought you two only had a few shots before we got here.  Shit. It’s not like that.  Besides, he’s really not my type.”  Now clearly uncomfortable, she shifted focus away from her.  “Why don’t we change the subject and talk about Dani?  That’s always fun.  She has interesting stories.  Let’s torture her for awhile, ok?”

Realizing your drink was nearly gone, you flagged down the waitress, and with as straight a face as you could muster, asked, “Excuse me, but may I have 2 more Screaming Orgasms please?  Thank you.” You smiled so innocently, that the waitress busted out laughing, making you lose it in return. Looking back at Jade you stated, “I’ll leave you alone for now, but this is not over missy.  There’s more to the story of this magically delicious giant and I will find out what it is.  Anyhoo, Dani, how’s the work coming along on the new book?” 

She mulled the question over for a minute before answering,“It’s going well. I’m ever so slightly stuck on this new male character. But, I’ll keep at it. Hopefully, inspiration will strike soon.” Dani swirled her drink around in the glass as she spoke.  

“Why are you stuck on him?  You usually write things so easily,” you inquired.

“I don’t know! His story is the last of this trio of books, and I was so excited to write him. I’ve been thinking about him since I started writing the first book a year and a half ago,” she replied. She eyed both of you, daring you to come at her with your questions. Writing usually came easily to her, so hearing that she was having some difficulty was out of the ordinary.

Looking at you, Jade exclaimed, “What the hell are we supposed to read once she’s done writing about him?”  Turning to Dani, she demanded,  “Start writing about this guy already!  Some people want to read the damn story.”

With a grin, she lifted her hand and responded, “Calm down, hot stuff. I’ve got ages till my edit due date. And anyway,” she coughed and mumbled, “I may have already started a rough draft of a new series.”

This was news to you, and surprise showed on your face.

“I’m sorry, what?  Caught the hot stuff part, but the rest was you mumbling.  New series?  What new series? Why do you always have to be so vague?” Jade lamented.

“Am I gonna ask for royalty checks out of this one? No one named Forrester is there?” you asked. The waitress returned with fresh drinks, winking at you.  You clinked glasses with Dani before settling back to hear more about her writing woes.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she said, “No, but Seb might. Did you see that new picture he put out? How could I not write after I saw that?” Her eyes lit up as she said his name.  She had been admiring him for quite some time, and had been vocal about the various parts of him she liked.

Coyly, you told her, “He knows of you by the way.” You grinned at her shocked expression and continued, “When I had dinner alone with Chris I asked him about Seb.  I wanted to know if he was really as sweet and loveable as he seems.  Chris told me all sorts of stories. Seb is exactly what you’d imagine. Chris told him ‘Hi’ from me and you.”

You were enjoying watching her process the fact that soon he might actually know who she was.

Visibly overwhelmed, she quickly sat up and said rapidly, “What? He  _ what _ ? That is not necessarily good information for my brain. Why does he have to be that sweet in real life? That doesn’t help with my crush, I need something unattractive about him to combat all the adorkableness. Like, his feet smell like Limburger cheese or something.” She took a long gulp of her drink after that, needing something to give her some extra courage.

“I’ll have to ask Chris for something.  Seb even laughed hysterically when Chris told him our nickname for him, Cocky Mother Fucker Lance Tucker,” you said with a laugh.  It was fun to watch Dani in the hotseat.  She was usually pretty unflappable, but this news had clearly shaken her up.  

Dani began gesturing wildly with her hands, “That’s cause it’s true! He just stands there with his floofy hair and his biceps and his smile and his eyes….dammit.” Her face had a flush to it now, she was clearly thinking about Sebastian and his wily ways.  He had that effect on people.

“And that fuckin’ tongue and lip biting shit!” Dani declared, smacking her hand on the table.

Finger pointing straight up into the air you declared, “Wait...I’ve got it!  I know his flaw!  He has very pointy always erect nipples!  I dare you to find a picture where they aren’t poking through the shirt.” You laughed to the point where you started tearing up, clearly the drinks were having an effect.  Continuing your thought you added, “Nipples for everyone, yeah!” before hoisting your drink in a toast for good measure.

Dani leaned in closely and replied hotly, “Not a fucking flaw, Hoey McHoerson! They’re right there, just poking out to say hello and say…”

“LICK ME!!” You interrupted loudly.

Dani groaned and buried her face in her hands. “You’re a ho.” She stayed like that and shook her head.

“Takes one to know one Slutty McFuckface,” you replied while doing a little dance in your seat.

Jade had been watching you both during this exchange and simply said,  “You’re both nuts.”  You and Dani laughed at this. “Seriously, this conversation went from a new novel, then somehow to and I’m quoting ‘floofy hair,’ then onto erect nipples.  I just think it’s  _ really _ cute that you’re both fangirling for the Capsicle and Bucky Boy, when there are REAL men out there.  They’ve got accents.  They’re European.  Fassbender and Heughan”.  She picked up another crostini from the basket, and said, “I rest my case,” before taking a bite.

“Hey, Seb speaks Romanian! And don’t forget that Chris speaks Bahstin,” Dani replied indignantly.  She was really showing how protective she was of her favorite Marvel character.

With a laugh and a wave or her hands as she wiggled her fingers Jade replied, “Look at all the fucks I give.  Do they wear kilts?  Noooo. Have sexy accents?  Nope.”

Inspired and feeling no pain, you began to sing,  “Ohhhh what do the Scottish wear under their kilts?” With no reservations at all, you waved your hand in front of your crotch, and continued, “A Wang, A Wang!!”

“Hoooly shit.  Yep, now I know we’re definitely related.  Has Chris seen this side of you yet?  No?  I’m looking forward to it when he gets to meet this Nicole in particular.”  Jade smiled and looked at Dani, “You knew this was going to happen!” Dani laughed and shrugged, knowing full well that her plan to get Nicole drunk had worked.  “Fine, he speaks Romanian, but still,  _ no _ accent!“ 

With one hand under your chin, you dreamily stared out at the lake and said, “James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser...mmmm, he could do just fine if Captain America doesn’t pan out.”

Maybe you could go to Scotland someday, see if you couldn’t bump into Sam someplace.  You could probably get a good deal on airfare.

**“** Keep your mitts off of him, he’s mine. You can have Dougal,” Jade replied with an evil grin.

“There’s plenty of Red Jamie to go around, Sassenach.” To you, the accent sounded perfect.  Sam would be impressed.

Jade sighed and looked at Dani,  “We’ve created a monster here, you do realize that?  Glancing at you, she said sweetly, “I don’t share, honey.  P.S. Your accent sucks, too.”  

Thrilled with the success of the Screaming Orgasm and the laughter that had ensued, Dani decided to add to the evening.  She cleared her throat and with a smile on her face said, “An American, a Romanian, and a Scotsman walk into a bar…”  

All three of you barked with laughter and toasted to sexy men and their accents.

Dinner was delicious and everyone relaxed and talked, as was always the case when this group got together.  Afterwards, as you walked back to the lodge, you saw people heading to the pavilion for a campfire.  Your group joined with the other guests and enjoyed some s'mores.   It was a beautiful night to sit outdoors by a fire, with your best friends by your side. The s'mores were also gooey and delicious.  

Chocolate is absolutely magical, it says so in Harry Potter.

Back in the room, the light hearted teasing and laughter continued, and did so well into the night. You were only able to come together a couple of times per year so these nights were precious to you.  Special enough that you turned down a weekend with Chris for them.  

Jade had her laptop out with the music playing and “Don’t Stop Believing” came on.  

You began pointing at them excitedly,  “Oh my God! Have either of you seen Chris’ movie The Losers?”  

Your friends look at each other and then back at you, nodding their heads slowly, smiles starting to spread slowly as they both answered, “Well duh.”

You were waving your hand around wildly, “Remember him singing this?  God that part was so funny.”  You stood with your hands on your hips, reenacting the elevator scene, “You liking the angle of the dangle?”  You were laughing so hard you could no longer stand, letting yourself fall to sit on the edge of the bed you continued, “Or the part after when he’s cornered and starts saying, ‘They did stuff to me, spooky stuff...anal stuff.’”

You wiped the tears of laughter from your eyes, noticing your friends staring at you as if you had lost your mind.  This set you off into another round of laughter as you fell back onto the bed, clutching your stomach hearing them muttering what sounded like: “She’s bombed” and “At least she’s a happy drunk” and “I’m just glad she’s not flashing us again.”

You had some water at Jade’s insistence, then a little Coke and Lays potato chips (your own hangover prevention remedy) before heading to the shower.  

After washing up and getting into your cozy shorts and tank top for bed, you were sobered up and thought it would be fun to send Chris a picture of you with Gordon, so he knew you were thinking of him.  He had been true to his word, not calling tonight so he wouldn’t interfere with girl time.  You took out the stingray and explained the story behind him to the girls.  

Jade snapped the picture for you and you sent it to Chris with the caption, “ _ Snuggling Gordon, but thinking of you.“   _ Looking at the stingray, you also decided to carefully inspect it for that camera Chris teased you about, just in case. 


	14. Bittersweet Symphony (Part 3 of original Wattpad Chapter 11)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls spend the day exploring and having adventures at Skytop Lodge in the beautiful Pocono mountains. A sweet romantic gesture from Chris brings unexpected consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a huge thank you to fellow Ao3 member Saffreelove for bringing life and voicing her parts as Dani and my editor extraordinaire for bringing life and the voice of reason to Jade. This was amazing to write with you guys. The dialogue you provided forced me to places with Nicole I never anticipated and made the story that much richer.

The following morning you woke up, luckily not hung over, and comfortably rested. You could see the sun shining through the curtains and were stretching in your bed when a pillow came flying at your head.  

Startled by the attack, you blurted out, “Hey! What the fuck was that for?”

It had come from the direction of Dani’s bed. She was sitting up and looking annoyed as she pointed at you, holding her other pillow as a threat for more damage. “That was for you, you bitch. I was looking forward to a great night sleep, but no, instead I get woken up every hour to the tune of, ‘Oh Chris! Right there! Yes, mmmmmm! Chris, harder!’”

She had to be kidding, right?  You were known for sleep talking but no way did you...could you?

Shit!

You threw the pillow back at her with an adamant, “I did not!”

From the couch Jade yelled, “Yes, you did!  You’re so fucking loud. She’s right next to you, and I’m allllll the way over here and can hear you. Control yourself, woman!”

Maybe they weren’t joking? You let yourself collapse back onto your pillows, pulling the comforter up to cover your head, embarrassed beyond belief. “Ugh, I’m so sorry.  Please tell me you guys are making this up?!  If I had a dream like that I wish I could REMEMBER it! Fuck!”

The girls broke down, both laughing hysterically that you fell for their joke.  Dani was wiping tears from her face as she admitted you did talk, but it was just a couple of giggles and one quick “Chris.”  

You threw both of your pillows at her this time.  

What a way to start a morning!  But honestly, you wouldn’t have it any other way.  These girls were your sisters from other misters and you wished there was time to do this more often.  Your party went down for a fast and light protein filled breakfast in preparation for the day. Once again, everyone found themselves laughing at each other’s antics.  Hard to get through a single meal without it happening.

Walking towards the Treetop Adventure Center, you took in the majestic landscape you were lucky enough to be in the center of.  Large bright green trees as far as the eye could see, mountains of them surrounding you.  You passed several bodies of water, making a mental note to return to the bridge over the river with the girls before the weekend was over. The fresh smell of crushed pine needles and the scent of sweetgrass had you closing your eyes, lost for a moment remembering the summers of your youth spent in similar mountains.  

After signing a waiver, which was a bit ominous, and being given a lesson in safety, you were finally given a harness to wear out on the course.  

First up, was the zipline, and you found yourselves climbing high up into the treeline.  You leaned forward on the platform, and stared over the precipice at certain death. You were a bit of a scaredy cat, not too keen on heights.  How did you let them coax you into this?

“It’ll be awesome!” Jade said.

“You’ll feel invigorated and alive!” Dani had insisted.  

Bullshit! These bitches lied!  

All of the sudden you felt a sudden urge to throw up and also wished you had brought a pair of Depends (just in case, never hurts to be prepared). A hand on the back of your shirt was pulling you backwards, and Dani was chiding you, “Dude, what did we say about looking down?! Jade’s the only one who actually likes it and that’s only because she’s insane. You’ll be fine!”

Well, Dani called that one correctly.  Jade was first in line, already at the edge of the platform, helmet on and strapped in.  “I’ve been looking forward to this for so long!”  You heard her begin to hum Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and she stepped off the edge. She zipped away quickly, letting out whoops along the way.

You look after her, then slowly began backing away.  “Hey there girlfriend, you’re next, no time to be a chicken shit,” Dani reprimanded, knowing you would run if she let you.

Instead you were pushed to step forward. You closed your eyes and let yourself go. Even holding on tight to the rope you still managed to flip Dani off.  She flipped you back with both hands, doing a little dance with them.  

You shut your eyes tight and began chanting, “I’m gonna dies, I’m gonna dies, I’m gonna DIES!” over and over.

Before you knew it though, you were reaching the next platform where you were quickly pulled up onto the perch.  You looked around, a little bewildered and broke out into a smile.  Hugging Jade, “Hey, I didn’t die I’m ALIVE! I’m alive!”  

You watched Dani boisterously zip along to catch up.  Now that the fear was replaced with adrenaline it was game on.  

Back on solid ground you couldn’t stop grinning and realized they were right.  That was truly exhilarating!  You felt so alive!

Beside you Dani was bouncing in place, gripping your upper arm as she said, “I want do that again, but upside down on the long ones.” Her eyes were getting wider with a touch of crazy to them.  You knew that look, you had learned to fear that look.

Meanwhile Jade was running around, hyped up like a kid with a sugar rush yelling, “That was just fucking amazing! I really want to go again! Let’s get going!”

On the elevated bridgeway you and Dani decided to have a little fun behind Jade who was the leader.  You had settled into a comfort level with the height, confident with the safety provided by your harnesses. Ahead of you Jade was looking down, walking a little slower than before.  “Anyone remember ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom?’  Pretty sure that we’re reenacting a scene from it.” 

The girl that was so gung-ho to fly through the air was nervous now. You know what they say about payback? You heard her give a short screech and yell out, “I don’t know who’s doing it, but stop shaking the fucking bridge!”  

Dani smacked your arm as you hollered “Yeah, stop shaking the bridge people!”  You both busted out laughing, fully enjoying the moment.

From the suspension bridge you were ferried to a rope course high up in the trees.  This one was maybe not your cup of tea.

Jade was looking at you, flipping her auburn hair and cocking her hip,  “A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up.” She chuckled before adding,  “Mae West sure knows her shit.”

Beside her Dani threw both her hands up, “How the hell do you have all of these quotes in your head and then pull the perfect one out at the exact right time?”

You were the first to go this time and not liking it. 

Not even a little. Not even a bit.

You decided to distract yourself with some humor while moving yourself from one large suspended peg to another, “I’d rather be tied up in a bed than,” moving to another step, “Trying to,” shit this was wobbly,  “Fucking navigate this,” taking another step, “Shit.”  

You took the last three as quickly as you could to be done with it.  Your core muscles were on fire.  The other girls made it across with a little difficulty as well but everyone got through it.  Upon reaching the platform, there were high-fives all around and fist pumps, everyone elated to have survived relatively unscathed.  

All told it took about 3 hours to complete the total Treetop Adventure. Before leaving the course, you motioned for Dani and Jade to stand together. “Before we go, I want a picture of us.  I want to make sure we have something solid to remember this by.”  You asked a member of the staff if he would take it, and he happily obliged. After a few moments of discussion and playful chastising, you all fell into a standing Charlie’s Angels pose.  Jade took the center wearing her “Rico’s Roughnecks” t-shirt and assumed the position.  You took your hair out of it’s ponytail, shaking it out a bit to make sure it was a little wild and had that “just fucked” look before stepping onto Jade’s left, fingers pointed straight up, poised like a gun.  You were wearing your Captain America logo t-shirt and made sure it could be clearly seen.  Dani took her right side and mimicked the gun hand pose, rocking her Team Bucky tee.  You couldn’t wait to send this to Chris. Several shots were taken, you all thanked “Charlie” as you nicknamed the poor boy, with a hug and a smooch on the cheek.  No one told him about the lipstick stain.

It was just past noon, and your trio decided to take a break and have a quick bite to eat.  You wandered into The Tea Room and sucked down milkshakes and grilled cheese sandwiches with french fries.  You hoped it would help give a sugar rush and burst of energy.  You took your time, with reservations for horseback riding close to an hour away. 

Taking the scenic route to the stables brought you along the lake for a bit. Removing socks and sneakers you all did a mini polar bear plunge, going into the cold water up to your ankles.  That woke you up! Shrieking, everyone ran out of the there as fast as possible, warming your feet on the soft grass and laughing like the assholes you were.  Feet sufficiently dried, everyone got their shoes back on and continued the walk to your noble steeds.

Dani immediately chose her horse, a Dapple Grey beauty named Winter.  She ran her hands over his nose and mane, speaking softly to the horse.  She always had a soft spot for them. You snapped some photos of Dani with her new friend, sure she was going to be happy to have something to remember him by.

Jade on the other hand, was not so happy about this part of the day.  She was close to her horse, Rascal, but being very cautious.  You cautioned her, telling her it could smell fear.  She was avoiding his head, running her fingers through the coarse hair of him mane instead. “Why did I let you guys talk me into this?  Horses don’t like me, you know that! It’s a mutual dislike. They just don’t...why is he moving like that?”  She looked around with nervous, wide eyes, before asking the horse, “What the hell are you doing, Rascal?”

Already mounted, Dani trotted her horse next to Jade. “He’s just loving on you, Jade. You could turn around and ride reverse if that would be more familiar.”  You snorted, catching the innuendo that was lost on nervous Jade.  Dani was calming Rascal down, speaking soothingly to him.  “You’re just a lover, aren't you, baby? Yes, you are, you sweet boy. Doing such a good job.”  She leaned over and scratched his forehead lightly, giving his neck a few pats.  “See Jade, he’s a good boy, just give him some lovings.”  Jade mounted her horse, trying to appear confident and owning her ride. Dani and her horse had trotted off, but she waited for you to be ready. 

Whenever you got near horses you wondered why you didn’t get out to ride more often.  It was something you had enjoyed in high school, but only did a handful of times since then. There were frequent stops at a rescue farm to bring them carrots but you never stayed to ride.  You ran your hand over Cheyenne’s flank, speaking softly to her before getting up onto your saddle. Looking over at Jade you sassed,  “Let’s ride Cowgirl! Ready, Cheyenne?  Yeehaw!”

The scenery along the trails was gorgeous, as you made your way through woods, valleys, and even near an amazing waterfall.  Out of nowhere you found yourself thinking of Chris, wondering if he liked riding horses.  Maybe it was something you could do together sometime. The image of Chris in jeans, one of his plaid shirts, and maybe a cowboy hat imprinted itself in your brain.  Yeah, you had to get that man on a horse with you.

The ride took several hours, the horses were unbelievably well trained and easy to work with, even for Jade who eventually became comfortable.  After a while you caught her talking to Rascal, patting him affectionately several times.

Dismounting, you found your thighs stiff from having been in the saddle for so long.  You were stretching when Dani caught sight of you.  “Man, it really has been too long since you had to ride something large between your legs hasn’t it?” she said with a look of mock pity.  You flipped her off and stood up, still feeling bow-legged but not giving her more reason to sass you.  Exhausted, the three of you made your way back to your hotel room for showers and a little rest before dinner.  

Tonight’s meal was in the lovely and relaxing Taproom.  There were so many amazing choices again, and you were all so damned hungry that you ordered multiple dishes each, intent on sharing because you couldn’t decide. The waiter was busy bringing out Beer Brats, a selection of cheeses, nachos, fried chicken and waffles, mac & cheese, burgers, fries, and much to Jade’s dismay, crispy brussel sprouts. Jade washed everything down with Pepsi, while Killians Irish Red was the poison of choice tonight for yourself and Dani. Forks were flying all over the table at each other’s plates.  It was a relaxed meal, full of reminiscing and making new memories. One by one, you each took out your phones to show the candid shots that had been taken of each other.  You laughed about all of the varied reactions during your fun filled day, and took more photos of each other at the table.  You texted the posed shot of the three of you to Chris. He sent you back a reply reading, “ _ Look at you gorgeous angels!  Hope you’re staying out of trouble. Love the shirts! Team Cap!” _

Bellies full and happy, your tired trio made its way back upstairs.  Jade flopped down on the couch, relaxing with some tv after so much adventure.  Dani went to change into something more comfortable, while you grabbed your phone, hiked up your black maxi dress, and crawled into your bed, grabbing Gordon and laying on your side, lamenting about why on earth you ate so much.  Oh that’s right, because it was fucking amazeballs, that’s why.  You saw that an email had come in while you were at dinner, and that it was from Chris.  It had a video attachment but it would be hard to hear over the tv.  Rummaging around in your overnight bag, you found the headphones you had packed in case you wanted to listen to music without disturbing the girls.

You began to smile the moment you read the email. 

_ So I got your text with Gordon and I have to say I loved it.  Seeing you in your pajamas, squeezing him, messy hair, no makeup, big sweet goofy smile on your face.  You looked amazing on our date last week, but honestly, this is my favorite look.   You’ve got a way about you Nicole, and this is my way of showing you. _

_ Ps.  I hope you’re having a great time with Jade and Dani.  Gordon is one lucky son of a bitch _ .

You pressed play on the video.  Chris was sitting somewhere, his phone was leaning against something facing him. You heard the piano start up and your breath hitched as your fingers went to your lips. Your heart melted.

_ “She’s got a way about her.  I don’t know what it is, but I know that I can’t live without her.   _

_ She’s got a way of pleasin’, I don’t know what it is but there doesn’t have to be a reason anyway. She’s got a smile that heals me, I don’t know what it is, but I have to laugh when she reveals me. She’s got a way of talking, I don’t know what it is, but it lifts me up when we are walking anywhere _ .”  

He sang it looking at the phone on some parts, eyes closed feeling the words in others, but emoting so much that you were in tears.  Of joy, of happiness, of overwhelming feelings you couldn’t even describe.  This was the single most romantic thing anyone had ever done for you.  Your tears brought you attention as you heard Jade yell over to you from the couch to see what was wrong, before jumping up to come to your bed.  Dani had been on her bed, playing with her tablet, but she too jumped on the bed to hug you, concerned showing on her face.

Pulling the earphones off you answered them, “Nothing’s wrong, just the opposite.  Everything is perfect.  I...well, remember how I told you Chris and I were singing together on my ride here? He got the pic of me with the stingray last night and said it made him want to show me how he was feeling, and… and, he made me this. J, where’s your speaker?  I want you to hear it.”  She quickly retrieved her bluetooth speaker, and you played them the video of Chris singing Billy Joel’s song ‘She’s Got A Way.’  

Jade was looking at you with her eyebrow quirked, her tone bemused. “Out of all the songs in the world, that's the one he picked to sing for you? No wonder you’re crying. And how the hell does he just always happen to have access to a piano?”

You tittered a bit at her response, “He has one at his home in Boston.  We sang Piano Man on the way here, guess Billy got stuck in his head.”

Jade looked at you, slowly nodding her head, “Wow, you're  _ actually  _ with this guy.”  Her tone changed suddenly, becoming more serious. Hands started to fly as she was pulling Dani into her observations. “I feel like Jiminy Cricket right now. Ok, yes, this is all great, but have you taken a moment to consider what happens when the paparazzi gets a tip? They’re going to tear right into you!”

You saw Dani reluctantly nodding her agreement. Looking at you with a touch of sadness she added, “They really will. I know that he’s great and charming and wonderful, but he comes with a whole other layer of complicated. There is so much to be careful about, so much that has to be hidden from the public. If you guys really do this, you’ll have to put a super lockdown on all of your social media and most likely cull your virtual friend list if not your real one.

Jade stood from the bed, exhaling and beginning to pace.  Her fingers started a count of the potential pitfalls as you watched, your happiness plummeting and a knot forming in your belly.

She turned and pointed at you, “Nicole, this is really getting complicated.  It’s not just social media to worry about either.”

Taking your hand in hers, Dani pulled your attention away from Jade.  “Nic, look. We really, really want you to be happy. And I see that he makes you happy. Happier than you’ve been in a long time. But this isn’t like other relationships. It could just have such disastrous results and not just emotional fallout. The press will not care that you’re a nice person, they will only want anything that will provide shock value for their headline. I’m not saying don’t do this. Just please be smart about privacy.”

Jade had stopped her pacing and was now standing at the foot of the bed with her arms crossed.  She was looking back and forth between the two of you, “I second  _ everything _ you just said, Dani.  We  _ do _ want you to be happy, this just isn’t what we expected.  I figured you’d have some pictures from the game to show us and that’s it. Instead he’s making videos for you, and you’re talking about almost having sex with him. I knew you had a crush on him, but this is a helluva lot more than that.”

You attempted to defend yourself but didn’t get the words out as Dani cut in asking, “Have you and Chris talked about any of this?”

You were a goddamn fool.  They were right, about everything.  You, on the other hand,  were just the moron who was content to live in her perfect little bubble, not allowing yourself to imagine the day it would be popped.  

“We talked about it briefly the other night, but it just hasn’t been an issue.  We’ve been apart, it’s only been a week.  Our talks have been more getting to know each other and shit. God, there's so much to think about.”  You changed position on the bed, bringing your knees to your chest and then resting your chin on them. “I don't think I have much to dredge up, and Chris is very private.”

**“** Sure, he’s private, and he’ll try to keep it quiet, but how long until something happens and it ends up on the internet?”  Jade asked, before sitting beside you on he bed.  “You’ve got to do more than briefly talk about it with him, he of all people should know this. We don’t want you have regrets, but if you want to find out what happens with him, both of you need to have a plan in place.  Dani, how much do you know about publicists?  Isn’t this their area?”

Dani nodded, “I think you can work it out. He just...when was the last time he dated a non-celebrity? Normally, his publicist probably talked to her publicist and that was it. He may not be fully aware of the complications of publicly dating someone who is unknown to the press. Can you just make sure he’s gone over this with his someone? You don’t want them surprised. It’s always better to have them fully in the loop so that they can come up with a million contingency plans covering how and when you are introduced to the press. Or responses for the press if your relationship gets outed before you wanted it to be out.”

Talking over you to Dani, Jade asked, “How has he not talked to his publicist at this point?  Would he have just done this without consulting them first?  Wouldn’t they know who she is already?  She’s going to need as many contingency plans as possible, because anything could put this relationship out there.  They were all over Boston together!  Everyone has a camera now!”

Dani, apparently also forgetting the person in question was sitting there, replied back, “So, she would have at least known about the Escape room and his plans to take the winners out for dinner afterward. I would hope he told her about galavanting about Boston with the four of them, but maybe he felt safe so close to home?”

Jade was gesturing wildly, “The tabloids know he’s home though!  He’s not filming yet.  He’s going to stay close to his family.  That’s where they get candid shots and shit like that.  Plus, it has to be online someplace that he was going to do something for a charity!  Someone probably gave a tip that he was going to be around!”

Looking only at Jade, Dani realized, “Have we done any kind of searches to see if any pictures have surfaced recently? That would help to know if any sort of damage control is needed.”

Shrugging her shoulders Jade admitted, “No, I didn’t think about it.  I figured she and Ryan would post stuff, and maybe there would be a photo or something on the webpage for the charity.” She exhaled deeply, nodding her head in an answer to a question only she heard.  “I guess I could run a full check, see if he’s in any photos with a “mystery woman” while he’s in Boston.  That would probably be on someone’s radar, he’s got enough fans, and they all want to know what he’s doing.”

This was turning into a nightmare.  It was like watching some kind of fucking tennis match.  You sat there, turning your head from one to the other as they discussed your relationship in rapid succession as if you weren’t even in the room.  You couldn’t get a word in, nevermind an opinion or an answer.  You hit your breaking point.   

Throwing your hands up on either side of your head against your temples you shouted “STOP!” before bringing your hands to cover your face.  You were on the verge of tears from confusion and anger.  Your hands dropped to chest level and you noticed that they were trembling slightly.

“Jesus, WHAT THE FUCK guys!? Do you have any idea what it’s been like for me this week?  I didn’t have anyone to talk to about this. I was so excited to come here and FINALLY be able to spill my guts to my closest friends. I expected you to react, but not like this.”

Placing her arm on your shoulder and squeezing gently, Dani apologized, “Oh Nic, I’m sorry”.

Jade had her head down, a sheepish look on her face.  “We’re both sorry, we just don’t want anything bad to happen.”

You took a deep breath, attempting to get yourself under control but the trembling was only getting worse.  “Please, I can’t….I get it alright, I’m screwed.  And please guys, believe me I,  I’m not mad at you, you’re 100% right.” You couldn’t meet their gazes, the looks of pity you expected to see there would be unbearable.  “I’m mad at MYSELF, for being a delusional idiot. For being able to so easily convince myself that this would work… be like any other relationship.” The tears finally broke through and started flowing. “I thought my biggest concern would be what to do next time I saw Chris. Now it looks like my concern should be whether there even IS a next time.”  That did it, the dam broke and you began to sob.  

Moving up the bed to get a hold of you, Jade wrapped her arms around your shoulders.  “You’re not an idiot. You don’t know that it isn’t going to work.  There’s just a lot you need to talk about with him.”

Dani reached for your phone, opening up the video again and bringing it to your hands.  “Besides, I’m pretty sure this guy is looking for a next time with you.”

You watched the video of him again, but it had a completely different effect on you this time. Instead of being on a cloud, you felt like you were sinking into quicksand. Your breathing was becoming erratic as you felt yourself on the verge of a panic attack.  You brushed off their hands and made your way off of the bed.  

“I’ve gotta get out of here.  I need to be alone for a while to think.”  They began protesting, trying to get you to stay but you put your hand out, motioning for them to stay where they were.  “Look,  I get what you’re saying, and I know you’re right.   I just need some time to let it get into my brain.  I’m going out for a while, need to take a walk.”  You grabbed your phone, your small purse and pulled a bushel of tissues from the box on the nightstand.  “I’ll see you guys later, okay?”

You didn’t know where you were heading, just that you needed to be free of everyone for a while.  After a dozen or so pushes to the elevator button, and still no response, you cursed at it and angrily grabbed hold of the door to the stairwell, yanking it to get through.  You ran down the two flights of steps as fast as you could, wiping the tears from your face as you descended.  At the bottom, you found yourself entering the lobby and spotted a door leading to the back of the hotel and the lake.  You made a beeline for the exit, hastily moving through the few people that seemed like cattle trying to block your way.  Outside, in the cooler fresh air, you finally took your first deep breath.  You had hoped it would calm you, but it had the opposite effect.  Being away from prying eyes and giving yourself that moment to breathe, instead unleashed everything you were trying so desperately to hold back.  Thank God you had the foresight to grab tissues.  

You walked, fighting back tears in case anyone could see you, until you found an empty wooden bench not too far from the lake.  It was dark there, isolated, and having finally found the place of solace you needed, you let the raw emotions take over.  You sobbed so hard you thought you would throw up.  After a few minutes you finally started thinking straight again, working hard to get the gasps under control, sucking in ragged breaths, feeling the soreness of your throat. You berated yourself for getting swept away, for being foolish and not seeing the whole picture.  For falling hard for a guy you just met.  For sabotaging your happiness. For allowing yourself to pretend that his fame wouldn’t cause any problems for you.  For ever meeting Chris Evans. Your friends were 100% right, and for just this moment you 100% hated them for it.  You had a lot of thinking to do, A LOT. You leaned forward to help with your breathing, burying your head in your hands, calling yourself every name in the book.  That was when you got the text from Chris. 

**My Captain** :  Hey, just wondering if you got my email?

Did you get his email?  You could barely think right now.  You decided to keep it simple, see if he would go away. With all you could muster you answered him as best as you could.

**Nicole:**  Yes.

A few minutes later you got another one.

**My Captain** :  Okaay. Did you like it? I got my schedule for June too. Hoping we could talk, figure out when we could see each other.

He wants to talk and make plans for June. He wants your reaction to the video that crushed your heart in so many different ways.  You couldn’t answer him, you just didn’t know how to.

**My Captain** :  Nicole?  You okay?  Can you talk?

Several more minutes passed before you finally sent him the only true answer you could think of.

**Nicole:** Not okay, I don’t know what to do.

That response resulted in your phone immediately ringing.  He didn’t even say hello when you answered, the concern in his voice was palpable.

**“** Nicole, what the fuck is going on?!  What’s wrong?” 


	15. Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has some serious discussions with Chris and Jade. A trip to on Sunday provides some much needed time for introspection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to fellow blogger Saffreelove for writing her part as Dani and my beta for writing the part of Jade.

Hearing Chris’ voice set you off into hysterics again. You sucked in air, trying to speak, but your words came in stammered and rushed in between the heaving breaths,  “I, I just don’t know...what I’m supposed to do anymore.  I told the girls about us. They said they were happy for me...but then they just went off…about what a mistake this could be.” Your voice was coming in strangled at this point and you couldn’t elaborate any more.

“What do you mean? Why is it a mistake? Please, tell me what’s going on!”  He was talking fast, his voice sounding anxious. You focused, wanting to be able to answer him clearly. You put the phone down on your lap, and slowly inhaled. You held the breath, then released, and repeated until you could speak in full sentences again.

“Nicole? Fahck!!  Nicole!” You heard his voice becoming agitated.  After drawing one last deep, shaky breath, you brought the phone back to your face and focused your eyes on the dark lake. Trying to gain and maintain a sense of calm, you watched the small ripples that appeared here and there.

“I’m sorry, I just needed a minute. I’m here.”

“What did they say to you?”  He was serious, but gentler, trying to coax you into speaking.

“They were both warning me about dating someone famous. Did I realize the repercussions? How my life would be under a microscope. Could I handle the scrutiny of fans and the media?”

Pausing, you sighed into the phone while bending over to let your elbows rest on your knees.  “They said it seemed out of character for you to be interested in a girl like me.  Had I considered the baggage that comes with your job? Had I thought about any of it seriously?”

“And?”

“And...the truth is no.  No, not really.  I guess I buried my head in the sand, seeing only what I wanted to see.  It’s been so normal with us, no celebrity shit, no issues. Last weekend we only had the one fan who spotted you. At least, that we know of. I guess I just didn’t want to think about the other stuff. I lulled myself into believing we were just…normal people.  A guy and a girl meeting and having a great time together.”

On the other end of the line your heard Chris exhale slowly, “They’re good friends, just looking out for you.  And they’re right Nicole. As much as I hate to admit that, they’re right.  Do you think you can handle it?”  

You took a minute to answer.  “That's what I’m trying to figure out. I feel so naive, so...foolish that I hadn’t thought about what a relationship with you would be like.  Not because of you personally, but because of who you are to the public. They asked if you’d spoken with your publicist about me.”

“Funny you should mention that.  I had not until this morning. Guess I kinda played ostrich myself this week. Kept a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ rule going.”

Hearing his tone change had calmed you down considerably. You were able to breathe almost normally again.  

You asked, “And how’s that going for you?”

“It was fine, until my Mom asked. So I told.” He sounded like such a little boy, a kid who got caught stashing Playboys or something.  The quality was so sad, yet kind of adorable, that you couldn’t suppress the chuckle.  He heard it, but instead of getting mad he ran with it, trying to lift your spirits a bit.

“And what was her response?”

“At first she was fine, happy even that things were going so well between us.  Then she asked what my publicist was doing as a game plan.  When I told her I hadn’t told my publicist yet, she flipped out. Made me call her right then and there.”

“Oh shit, that must’ve sucked!  What did your publicist say when you told her?” Now that the focus had shifted to Chris you were able to relax, sitting back up and leaning into the back of the bench.

“Oh. She. Was. Pissed!  She knew about the game Saturday but I didn’t tell her anything else. When she found out about our excursions in Boston, I had to pull the phone from my ear. I earned myself an 11 am conference call tomorrow morning for an ass whooping.  So trust me, I get it.”

“Nice to see I’m not alone in this.”

“If I’m honest, I’ve told my family and Sebastian about us.  I got it from all sides too, but it’s the same shit you heard. My family was worried about you, your safety, your reputation, how I thought it would be like dating a non-celebrity.  So, trust me, you’re definitely not alone in this.”

Dropping your head back you looked up at the stars.  “I just, just don’t know where to begin in figuring this out.”

“Look, cards on the table. I know it's only been a week since we met but I’m crazy about you, Nicole. I can't not have you in my life. If it has to be as just friends I’ll take it, it's not what I want. But if that's all you think you can handle, so be it.”  On the other end of the line his voice was breaking a little before continuing, “I just can't lose you.  You already mean so much to me.”

The connection between you both had grown something fierce this week, but to hear him say those words just solidified your feelings. It also caused you to realize you may have to make a choice that would break your heart, and his. Maybe if you hadn't crossed that line and kissed the way you did last weekend it could be different, but it had happened. You couldn't just be his friend. It would kill you to see him out with another girl, or to hear him talk about someone. No, friends just wasn't an option, not now anyway. You had a decision to make. In or out, there was no middle ground. You closed your eyes, rubbing the middle of your forehead with your fingers to relieve the tension headache beginning there. This is so not how you pictured your evening would be going. 

“Nicole? You still there? Talk to me, please. Tell me where your head’s at. Say something…”

His voice cracked, it was like a knife to your heart. You kept your realization to yourself, not wanting to be the cause of that choked sound again.

“I need some time to think, weigh all the sides of this. I don’t have the answers right now, but I don't want to lose you either. There's just so much to figure out.”  

You decided not to decide anything tonight.  You were too physically tired from your day, too emotionally exhausted from your night.  Tomorrow you were going to a place that would be perfect for introspection.  It could wait.  “Can we talk about it on Monday? Maybe on my way home, give me tomorrow to work things through?”

Sounding a bit resigned, you got your answer.  “Yeah, whatever you need.  I’m not going anywhere, I’m here, okay?  If you need to talk to me before then, I’ll be here whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you for understanding.  I know this probably isn’t the talk you expected to have after you sent me that video.”

He chuckled on the other end, “No, not quite the talk I expected.  Although I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  I was worried maybe it was too much, too soon.  I just had to do it though, I couldn’t get it out of my head.”

“I loved it.  I was a blubbering fool watching it, from happiness at that point.  You have to be THE MOST ridiculously romantic man in the world.”

“Only when I have the right muse.”

You let out an involuntary laugh, and you could immediately hear the happiness in his voice because of it.

“That's the sound I wanted to hear. Listen, I know this is probably not the best time for this but I got my schedule for June. I have a block of 4 days off that include a weekend, the 17th and 18th. I was hoping to see you for the weekend, then head up to Boston for the other days. No pressure, okay? Just wanted to let you know.”

Your belly did a little flip, excited at the prospect to see Chris again so soon. “Okay, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, I think I need to head in. I’m just about out of tissues and it's getting chilly out here. I had to get away from everybody, came out by the lake.”

“Alright, just, please if you need me for anything or want to talk, I don't care what time it is, call me okay? Promise?”

“I promise Chris. I’ll talk to you tomorrow okay? Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

After ending the call you remained on the bench for a few more minutes.  You weren’t quite ready to go back inside, your body was still a bit jittery.  You phone lit up with a new text message from Jade.  She was concerned, asking where you were.  You filled her in briefly.  She asked if she could join you, wanting to talk in private. You agreed, and typed where you were.  

A few minutes later, Jade arrived by your side, holding a box of tissues and handing over your favorite grey sweater.  “It’s gotten chilly out, so I brought you this.”

Slipping into the fuzzy comfort, you realized you were still hurt and a little upset with her.  Not wanting to say the wrong thing in anger, you responded with a head nod, afraid to speak.

Jade continued to stand next to the bench, hands shoved into her pockets.  “Can we talk?  I don’t want to get you upset again, I just have some things to say.”

You motioned with your head and she took a seat beside you.

Speaking softly, she looked at you with eyes that were glistening with unshed tears. “We weren’t trying to attack you, I really hope you don’t think that.”  You turned away from her, facing the water again.  She followed your gaze, looking out over the lake. “Do you remember when I broke up with John? How it got so bad and I had to leave DC?”

This was a painful topic for her, and you realized that she wasn’t here to fight with you.  She was here to explain herself.  You turned to look at her, nodding for her to go on. 

“I felt like everyone was watching me all of the time.  I was convinced people were staring at me and silently judging me after I pressed charges against him.  I wasn’t wrong though, his parents had clout and told people that their son didn’t beat me up, that I faked things, or that I exaggerated the argument we’d had.”

You took her hand and gave it a squeeze.  “But you didn’t!  I remember my dad telling me about it.  He was ready to hunt the guy down!  I didn’t know who he wanted to shoot more, the asshole that hurt you or your dad for not doing anything about it.”

Looking away she simply said, “I remember. Everything went to shit really quickly.”  She looked up then, meeting your eyes. “But I have to finish saying this, or I never will.”  She grabbed at a tissue, and took a deep breath before continuing. “You know, it didn’t matter how many bruises I had, or how many bones he broke in my arm? People looked the other way. It didn’t matter when a judge granted the restraining order against him, or when he took a plea deal so he didn’t get stuck in prison.  People judged.  They acted like it was my fault. Nicole, I felt like I was in a fucking fishbowl and I had to get out there because I couldn’t breathe.  It’s been almost 7 years and it’s still tough.  I know people see me as being brusque or uncaring, but I do care, I care very much.  That was just DC, not that big of an area, not that large a group of people, and it still fucked me up.  You’re talking about being with someone who people know all around the  _ world _ .  I’m not saying he’s going to physically hurt you,  _ please _ don’t think that’s where I’m going with this.  But just being with him, you’ll have so many people looking at you and judging, and the bitch of it is, they won’t be silent.  They have so many ways to hurt you.”  

The tears had slowly started as she was speaking, and now they came down steadily.  You shared the pain these memories brought to her and started grabbing tissues to clear your own eyes. “Getting hurt in any way is something I don’t want to see happen to you again, but the kind of hurt you can get from being with Evans, that’s something I really don’t want you to experience.  That kind of hurt doesn’t heal so well, even with time.”

You put your arm around her shoulder, leaning your head against hers. “I know, love, I know.  It doesn’t make it any easier to wrap my head around.  I actually just had a long talk with Chris about things. Told him what happened tonight. He’s got a call with his publicist in the morning.  I’m taking a few days to decide if I want to proceed with him as friends or as… lovers, I guess.  He said he doesn’t want to lose me, said he’ll accept my decision either way.”

Jade looked up at you quickly, taking your hand in hers.  “It doesn’t have to end with him. For fucks sake, he’s playing the piano for you, and mailing you stuffed animals.  I’d say he’s got more than just a few feelings for you at this point, and I know you’re feeling the same.  You just need to have something in place where you’re protected.  I’d feel...EVERYONE would feel better if we knew that there was something like that in the works.  But, do you truly understand what I just said?  It’s a big ass fishbowl, Nicole.  You can’t hide in it.”

“I know, I need to weigh the options, see what I can live with.  I’ll have more details after he speaks with his people. Until then, all I can do in my fishbowl is,” you looked out over the lake again, feeling lighter now that you understood where Jade was coming from, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.”

Your cousin groaned, “You aren’t going to break out into song now, are you?  If this is like when you sang ‘Hakuna Matata’ to me, I’m going to throw myself into that lake.”

Needing to change the mood, you sat up straight, bopping around on the bench a bit and clearing your throat.  “It means no worries, for the rest of your days.”

“Alright.  Just. No.”  She giggled a little, unable to help herself.  “This isn’t the time for laughter.  We need serious now.”  She tried to glare at you, but burst into a smile a few second later, a hint of laughter coming through. “Nicole, stop making me laugh! Seriously.  Come on! I want to help and I think I know how I can.  It’ll put your mind at ease, and mine.  Help you decide what you’re doing with him.”

Intrigued, you squinted your eyes at her, “I’m listening, go on.”

“I can run an audit of your digital footprint.”

"What exactly does that mean, in english.”

“It means I find out everything I can about you that exists online.  All of the stuff about you that’s on social media, and stuff you would come across if you did a google search or something like that.  I collect all the dirt that exists and you get to see what’s there. We find everything before someone else does.”

You pondered this, quickly thinking over what could be there.  “How in depth is it? Websites I visit and stuff?  How far back does it go?”

“It goes pretty far back.  You have to remember that things are being put online everyday, like old newspapers.  Every record is going digital.  It could go back to when you were a kid and made the paper for something at school.  I can’t see websites you’ve visited, unless you’ve left information there that could be traced back to you.  It just helps us see what people might find if, or when, your name comes out in connection with Evans.”

You chewed on the end of your thumb for a moment, taking in the details.  “I don’t think I really have too much to worry about, except maybe some college excursions.  But that was before social media was really big, thank god.”  

“People post old photos and tag the people in them. Throwback Thursday’s and Flashback Friday’s, ya know?”

“Alright, Garcia, you have my consent to this.  If a skeleton comes jumping out the closet at you, don’t blame me for the screaming it causes.”

She quirked an eyebrow at you, “That sounds very foreboding, Nicole. I just want you to have some peace of mind at this point.  Then you can decide what path you take with Evans. Ok? I’m sorry for being melodramatic about this, but I’ve got to watch out for you. It’s my job, ya know?”

“I know.  How did I luck out getting you for a relative?  Bring it in, cous.”  You hugged her tightly, giving her a big wet kiss on the cheek. 

She squeezed you back, letting out a sigh.  “I’m glad you’re letting me do this. So, I’m gonna ask something that nobody bothered to ask you yet.”  You braced yourself for her question as she took in a deep breath.  “How is he at French kissing? He’s sloppy, isn’t he? It’s ok, you can tell me.”

You barked out a laugh, amused at the way she asked the question.  It reminded you of being young girls again, talking about boys up in her room with the record player going during your visits. Your hand moved to cover your heart as you gave her a side glance. “He’s fucking amazing at it.  Deep, passionate, makes you weak in the knees kind of kissing. It was one of the most erotic nights of my life.” 

Standing up, you took Jade’s hand and pulling her up and off the bench as well.  You began walking her towards the hotel.  You were halfway there when you decided to tease her a bit, putting your arm around her shoulder and whispering in her ear. “Wanna know something else about his kisses? They’re so intense that I came on his thigh in the middle of a park. True story!” You released her and, giggling, began to run towards the hotel back door.  Your cousin hot on your tail, yelling, “You what?! Wait up, I need to hear about this!” 

Racing each other into the lobby, you felt a few quick taps on your arm as Jade pointed to the right, “Game room!” Her eyes were filled with excitement.

You swerved and made a bee-line for it. The room was fully packed with all of your favorites. Big cheesy grins exchanged, you went straight for the token machine grateful that you had your purse.  “My treat!” you said, smiling at Jade. Wanting to make sure Dani was up to date, you sent her a text letting her know where you were and that things were better now. You asked if she wanted to join you but she declined, saying she was kind of beat from the day and to enjoy yourselves. She would see you when you came upstairs. 

The room was full of classics, and even had a mini golf course.  You challenged each other at skee ball first, before heading to the racing style video games where you rode motorcycles and cars.  You just barely beat her at foosball.  Air hockey had been a favorite game to play together since you were kids, but you were sorely out of practice.  After she beat you the first time you countered, “Two outta three?” and it was game on.  You beat her the second time.  During the final tie-breaker round she was ahead, and beginning to trash talk you big time. “You think you’re funny?”  Jade poked her tongue out at you, shooting the puck and just missing another score.  

Steely eyes you threatened, “Keep it up and you’ll be a strange smell in the attic!”  You hit the puck and sunk it home.  In the end she beat you by one point.  Dammit!

Revenge was yours on the basketball game.  Since fair is fair, you chose to torture her back a little.  “You know who would probably be really great at this?”  She questioned you with her eyes, probably figuring you’d say Chris.  She was wrong.  “Your giant.  He would probably just stand here and reach out, let it fall off his fingertips into the basket.”  Her face turned beat red. Knowing you would be unable to keep a straight face, you looked away and continued to shoot.  

“Maybe you could stand next to him and be his ball handler.  Heard you’re good with them.”  You missed a shot when she punched you in the arm, again.  You threw your last few shots quickly, laughing at her mock-angry face.  Putting your arm around her shoulder you walked her to her favorite, pinball.  “Let’s see how you handle this ball, I’m gonna go try to win your giant a rubber ducky from the crane machine with my last 2 tokens.”

15 minutes later you were entering your room together.  Dani looked up from her tablet, immediately jumping off the bed and coming to you for an embrace.  “I’m so, so sorry for before.  I feel terrible about it.”

Hugging her back, you consoled her, “It’s okay, it’s alright.”  Letting her go, you made sure you had Jade’s attention too. “Look, I understand now why you guys said what you did.  I had a long talk with Chris when I was gone. Even he said you guys were good friends for it, and just looking out for me. A lot of what you guys brought up- I guess I had tricked myself into ignoring.  But I can’t do that if I decide to continue seeing him.”

Dani became alert at your choice of words.  “What you mean ‘decide to continue?’  Are you seriously thinking about ending things?” 

“I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do yet.  I told him I need time to think everything through and would let him know when I was ready to talk about it.”

“And he was okay with that?” Dani said this, slightly shaking her head, still having a hard time grasping the possibilities.

“No. Not really.  He said he couldn’t stand to be without me, would even accept it as just friends.   His voice was cracking as he said it.  It fractured my heart a little.  But even as he said it I knew that wasn’t an option.  I can’t just be friends with him, not now at least. I have to make a choice.”

“Shit, I didn’t mean for all of this to spiral out of control this bad.  Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut...” Jade began before you cut her off.

“No, you did the right thing.  When I was outside, I realized that if it hurt me so much to have you guys picking apart my relationship, what would it be like when strangers do it?  People who will want nothing more than to hurt me and tear us apart?  You bursting my bubble helped me see that.  My heart hated you for it at the time, but my brain thanks you for it now.”

“I’m still really sorry though. Are we good?”  asked Jade, a concerned look still on her face.  

“We’re good.”  Pulling them both in for hugs and planting kisses on their cheeks, you assured them, “We’re good, thank you both for your honesty.  But I’m not pulling the pins from the voodoo dolls until the morning.”  With that you headed to the bathroom to wash up and get yourself ready for bed.  Popping a couple of Advil to help with the soreness and slight headache you still had, you laid down and snuggled under the covers.  Thinking about Chris, thinking about all the things you didn’t want to think about. When sleep finally stole you from your musings, it brought with it the quiet your mind yearned for. 

You woke up the next morning and the air felt different. You felt different, relaxed. Clear headed for the first time in a week. Having a plan, things set in motion, knowing that Chris felt about you exactly the same as you did him. You still didn't know what your decision was going to be, but your plans for the day were the perfect settings to help you discover it.  

After an early morning breakfast in the dining room, you all jumped into Jade’s Wrangler and drove the 40 minutes or so to Columcille Megalith Park. It had been on your bucket list for years.  It was a place for meditation and reflection, with large rocks all over the park, and stone path labyrinths to walk through.  Your trio got there as an Irish Storyteller was about to begin a tour.  You joined him along with the other tourists to hear the history behind what you were seeing.  He was a wonderful guide, keeping things interesting.  After that the place began to work it’s magic on you all.  It was almost 10 am, and you all agreed to split up and meet in about 2 hours on the rocks near the koi pond.  Everyone had some thinking to do.

You decided to start by clearing your mind.  Letting everything become silent, focusing only on what you heard as you walked.  Keeping your head down, you let the sun warm the muscles at the back of your neck and shoulders, releasing some of the tension you still stored from last night. You walked slowly, kicking a rock here and there and watching its trail. Whenever your mind wandered, you focused it back on the now.  Meditation wasn’t necessarily easy for you, but there had been some tricks you picked up along the way.  You opened yourself up to receive answers, and to let ideas and thoughts approach you as they needed to.  

The first thing that came to you were some images of Chris that made you smile, and you felt heat move through your body.  You began your contemplation with a pros and cons list.  For pros you counted off his kindness, warmth, and wit. He was smart, and made you laugh. Close ties with family and friends.  Had an amazing way with kids, gave incredible hugs, and of course, those kisses. He had a sweet and humble nature, romantic, thoughtful, was genuine, and you’d admit his looks didn’t hurt, all variations of them. Those wicked eyebrows, and ridiculous lashes over the deep blue eyes.  Plush lips, and that goddamn freckle on his left cheek that drove you nuts for some reason.  And all that didn’t include what lay below the neck.  

For cons, your list was littered with things like being away for work for long stretches of time,  surrounded by models and gorgeous actresses.  The long hours, travels, and lack of privacy his job brought.  You couldn’t go on normal dates, and would be under constant scrutiny.  He lived in Boston, you lived on Long Island. 

Could you handle the negativity and backlash you were sure to receive from fans?  You tried thinking back over your life, trying to see what could be there that would create fodder for people who were looking for information.  You would feel better about this when Jade had run the audit.  Luckily, your wildest time was the first couple of years of college, which were thankfully in the infancy of social media.  Aside from that, and truly it wasn’t that bad, you didn’t think there was anything mortifying lurking around.  

You were not a model or actress, so would people like that about you, or wonder why he was with a nobody?  Would your body be picked apart since it was closer to fluffy than firm like his other girlfriends?  Would he care that your closet wasn’t full of designer labels?  Aside from your work clothes a lot of your casual wear was branded with lots of Torrid?  That the most expensive handbag you owned was by Vera Bradley? Your shoes were chosen for comfort, not for the bragging rights. Would the internet care about these things? This was going to be hard, but you would just have to develop a thicker shell.   _ If _ you decided to proceed with Chris. 

Finding a shady spot, you leaned on a stone, breathing in the cool, mossy scent, the sweet grass mingling with it, and watching the dragon flies darting about. You took stock of just what you felt for him.  You could truly say that it was no longer just a celebrity crush.  That had ended by the middle of last Sunday when you started seeing him as a person, and not the guy you blogged about on Tumblr. You yearned for your talks every night.  You longed to be in his presence again, and feel his energy.  

On the move again, you ambled through this enchanting place slowly.  Every so often you caught glimpses of Jade and Dani, but throughout the two hours but had kept your distance.  They both seemed lost in their own thoughts as well.  

It was during this walk that you it struck you.  Your pro list was full of things pertaining to him, personally and they were all truly wonderful. Everything on the con side had to do with his job.  If his job was the only thing making this difficult, didn’t you owe it to yourself to try?  You knew the answer and yet, you felt yourself holding back.  The question was why?

You found yourself near the giant staggered stones, drawn in by their energy.  This place really did feel alive, connected to something.  You walked to one of the larger ones, placing your hands on the flat surface.  Maybe you could fall through the stone and wake up in some other time like the woman in the books you loved.  Start over, meet a different version of Chris there.  You used your fingers to push you off again because really, who were you kidding?  Strong smells made you gag, and you loved hot showers on command too much to live in the past.  

An empty stone bench caught your attention and you sat, leaning back to rest upon the trunk of a beautiful weeping willow. A breeze had kicked up, making the long branches and their slender leaves dance. You were watching them when it hit you.  Fear.  What was holding you back was fear.  It’s what has been holding you back all these years.  Why hadn’t you ever realized this before?  You looked back on your relationships since high school, touching briefly on each one to see when this started. Each ending took it’s toll of course, regardless of who chose it, but the fear came from David.  

At 26, you were engaged to him after dating for two years, and living together to save money for the wedding and a house. Plans were set for a wedding the following fall.  Your life revolved around it, around him, and around the family and the home you hoped to have shortly after.  Until you realized there was something wrong.  He was acting differently, spending more time at work.  It was at an office holiday party when the first alarm bells went off.  That little voice that tells you to take notice,  it was now pointing you in the direction of David and his co-worker, Tina.  They weren’t sitting near each other. In fact, they seemed to be purposely avoiding each other, except for the eyes.  You caught their exchanges more than once, and a shift in his demeanor when it happened.  On the way home that night a song came on the radio and he got that same look.  You asked him what on his mind and he slipped, saying, “Nothing, Tina loves this song.”  Your stomach flipped and you felt a sense of dread, knowing now that he was in love with her, and your dreams were about to get shattered.  

Less than a week later you came home to find him packing his things.  The fucking coward wasn’t even going to try and fix this, and if you hadn’t come straight home there may very well may have been a “Dear John” note on the kitchen table instead of a confrontation. When it was over, you found out they had been seeing each other for a few months, and he was in fact in love with her. Your wedding was called off, (through the grapevine you heard they got married six months later) and all of your dreams vanished in just one evening.  Fear of feeling anything so deeply again had begun in that instant.  

The men that followed would always be victims of it.  You had one more long relationship lasting over a year, but mostly they would go for a few months or weeks.  If they seemed too good, too perfect, there had to be something wrong with them.  If they seemed to not care as much as you did, they were keepers.  At least until you realized you were being an idiot and cut the line.  Chris was a good one, and you recognized that the doubts you felt after the girls’ warnings was your way of sabotaging your happiness.  It wasn’t fear of fans and media, you truly couldn’t give two fucks what strangers thought about you.  It was of finally finding and connecting with someone on a level that made you vulnerable to that sort of heartbreak again.  This was a man that after only a week you could feel yourself growing strong feelings for, and could easily see yourself falling in love with.  It scared the everliving shit out of you!  

By the time you were walking back to meet the girls, you were fairly certain you were going to tell Chris that you were willing to give this a shot.  But you still weren’t completely there.  You still had some demons to battle.  

Dani was already sitting at the rocks.  Jade followed behind a couple of minutes later.  You all sat there, not talking, just taking in the sense of calm this place seemed to evoke.  Listening to the cicadas call and answer through the fields. Sitting in peaceful reflection while everyone finished their inner musings.  Dani was the first to speak. “I think I finally broke through my writer’s block.  I got some inspiration while I was out there, think I know where I’m heading with my character now.”

Jade took a deep breath and said, ”I’ve known for a while, but Patrick really likes me.” Seeing the confused looks on our faces, she added, “The giant?  That’s his name.” You and Dani simply smiled and nodded. “I’ll always remember what happened in the past, but I’m not going to let it interfere with my life now.  I won’t let it. Not anymore.”

“Funny you should say that, I realized I’m kinda in the same boat,” you admitted before filling them in on what you uncovered about yourself.  

With everyone's minds at peace, you made your way back to Jade’s truck and the hotel.  A few exits away was a billboard for Callie’s Candy Kitchen. Dani pointed it out excitedly, and Jade pulled off at the exit for an impromptu pit stop.  You posed outside the place for pictures with the giant lollipop statues before venturing inside.  It had been operating for over 60 years and was full of nostalgia. All sorts of old fashioned candies, fudge and homemade chocolate confections.  Cute little signs and knickknacks were scattered throughout the tables and shelves.  

After enjoying a sample, you picked up a box of fudge with potato chips mixed in.  There was a section that held a mini museum, and you left the girls to view a video, and a collection of vintage molds.  A few minutes later you heard them giggling. You knew that sound, and it meant that one, or both of them, were up to no good.

The store was large with lots of little rooms, and you wandered around the back looking for the source of mischief.  Not finding them, you started coming around the candy display, and then you saw Jade coming towards you. She had a strange smile on her face, almost like she was nervous.  Taking you by the shoulder, she turned you back in the direction of the candies and began asking your opinion of what to buy for her giant. She wanted to bring him a little something, see if maybe it could be a bridge to talk to him about something outside of work.  Forgetting your initial curiosity, you let yourself get caught up in her sudden whimsy.  Once all was selected you both headed up to the counter for your purchase.  Dani was already there, several bags in hand. “Did you buy the store? What the hell?” You asked. She pulled her bags out of reach and asked Jade for the car keys, and then walked out quickly. 

Your stomach growled loudly as you entered the car, setting off laughter.  “Well, you didn’t have to yell, Nicole.  We’ll get you something to eat,” teased Dani.  Within view of the candy store was a little place called the Pour House, and it turned out to be exactly what you needed.  Everyone indulged in juicy burgers and wraps, splitting some chicken wings as appetizers.  The food was amazing!   

The spa had been booked for 4 pm massages and facials so there was unfortunately no more time for shopping at the little stores you passed.  Besides, the chocolate would start melting, and you couldn’t let that happen.  Dani was leaning forward from the backseat in spirited conversation with Jade, while you sat in the passenger seat daydreaming.  Window down, you let your arm drift out a bit, riding the wind waves with your hand.  “Clarity” by Zedd came on and you found yourself humming along, paying half attention to the discussion in the car.  You started singing softly when the chorus began, “‘ _ Cause you are the piece of me, I wish I didn’t need. _ .”

Soft singing was replaced by full volume, as you belted out at the top of your lungs, “ _ If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?  If our love’s insanity, why are you my clarity _ ?”  You looked at them with a smirky smile before continuing.  The girls laughed as you thumped your hand on the ceiling twice to the thuds in the song and then they joined you. After your time at the park this morning, this song seemed so fitting.  It’s funny how the radio can read your mind sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> locations are real and beautiful if you're ever in that area. Skytop Lodge, Columcile Megalith Park, Callie's Candy Kitchen and Pour House are all located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania


	16. What happens at the Skytop, Stays at the Skytop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls enjoy their last day together, Nicole makes her decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a huge, huge thank you to my beta for writing the part of Jade and to saffreelove for writing the part of Dani. I can't imagine not having you be these girls now. You brought so much life to them and helped mold the story in ways you can't imagine.

There wasn’t much time to waste before making your way to the spa, just enough to drop off your candy in the room and freshen up a bit.  You sent Chris a quick text, “ _ Thinking of you.  I’m heading off the spa now but I’ll check in later. _ ”  Plenty of time to rest as you got rubbed and scrubbed for the next two hours.  The three of you made your way towards the spa, excited for the pampering of the muscles that were still sore from yesterday’s antics in the trees.  

Indulgence, true indulgence!  That’s what this spa felt like to you.  After being escorted to a private locker room, you were asked to change into large fluffy robes and slippers before being walked to a waiting area and given something to drink. You and Dani enjoyed mimosas, while Jade had water with sliced fruit in it. Glasses clinked and delicious liquid was sipped. Life was good.  Normally you weren’t much of a drinker, but for some reason vacations and, yeah being around Dani, allowed you to let loose and throw caution to the wind.  

After massages and facials the three of you were brought to the serenity room, a private area just for your party.  More mimosas were brought, along with herbal tea, fruit drizzled with yogurt, and chocolate dipped biscotti.  Total decadence, the staff and services were top notch.  You worried your lip a bit before clearing your throat to get their attention.  

“Hey guys, I’m kinda nervous about something. I haven't been with a guy in so many years,”  you paused, trying to figure out how to ask the question in your mind.  “Chris said he could come see me in a few weeks.  This chemistry I have with him… I can't imagine not getting my hands on him.”  You could feel your cheeks burning, a combination of the alcohol and shyness.  “Where do I even start? What if I forgot how? And you know how earring holes start to close up after a while when you haven't poked anything through? Well what if it's the same for all of your holes? Or what if I suck?!”  you added, barely keeping a straight face as you watched theirs.

Jade just laughed, trying not to choke on her biscotti. The always helpful, and slightly tipsy Dani, snickered, “That's what she said.” You rolled your eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, but smiling at her. “Sorry, I'm sorry. It was right there! But, dude, seriously? Have you completely forgotten our 20’s?”

Now you were truly blushing.  You took another swig from the champagne flute, “Well some of the alcohol did make it a little blurry, but I’m remembering a few nights of debauchery”  Remembering one night in particular you suddenly sat up, pointing at her indignantly, “Hey, some of that shit made it into your books, you bitch! I think I need a royalty check!”

Your cousin raised her eyebrows at you and scoffed, “A few nights? I think it was a bit more than that.”

Dani now straightened up and pointed back at you with her biscotti, “I would think that the primo dick you were getting was it's own reward. Should we track all those dicks down and give them a royalty check as well?”  She bit the tip off, making a show of it.  You fell back in laughter.  

You popped a grape into your mouth, “Research subjects don't get royalty checks.” Closing your eyes to view the memories of those long ago carefree days. “You’re right, I did get to sample a few primo cigars in my day thanks to you, D.”  You took another sip as a memory you had worked to suppress came back.  “Oh shit! What if Chris is so big that I gag and puke like I did with that guy, Mark?  I’m still traumatized by that.”  With a devilish expression on yours, you looked at the girls shocked faces, apparently they had forgotten about Mark too. “Probably not as traumatized as he is but …”

Dani was just about to eat a piece of fruit and had to stop to avoid choking, she almost cackled with laughter.  “You destroyer of men! Mark probably had some sort of Pavlovian aversion to getting head after that incident. Maybe he finally learned how to properly go down on a girl instead of that slobbering you told us about?”  She paused to tap her fork against her lips thinking, “Ya know, we could probably call down to the kitchen and see if they have any whole cucumbers sitting around, have them sent to the room later.”  

Jade was now laughing to the point of crying.  “Didn't you run past his Mom to puke? Wait! You did! She thought you had food poisoning and was freaking out because she was convinced that everyone who ate her chicken was going to get sick!”  Holding her stomach, she tried to quell the laughter. 

You were feeling completely silly and loose from your mimosas now.  “His mom totally thought it was food poisoning, poor lady was so worried about me the rest of the night.”  You let your head fall back, laughing and holding your stomach too.  “God, Chris is so ripped right now getting in Cap mode, I could feel the muscles under his shirt when we were making out.  I can’t wait to see that body in person.” 

Genuinely curious, Dani cocked her head up and looked at you.  “Soooo, what is it that you need, Miss Virgin 2.0, to happen in order for the charming Christopher to remove your title?” 

You chewed a piece of pineapple, pausing for a moment as you realized you didn’t know the answer to that yet.  In theory, you were ready to jump his bones, but you knew yourself.  It wouldn’t come that easily.  “I’m honestly not sure.  I kinda thought my next first time should be special, unlike my real one. I want to feel so much passion that I just want to lose myself in him. I’ll know it when the time is right.”  

Jade swallowed her biscotti, and added her two cents, “Well, don’t wait too long.  Poor guy was frozen in ice for 70 years.  I’m sure he’s getting blue balls by now. Plus, you need to be gentle.  He’s still a virgin.” 

You giggled before admitting, “Oh my God!  I totally had that conversation with Chris the other night.  He couldn’t believe people debated Steve Rogers’ virginal status!” 

Jade seemed surprised by this, “Seriously? It totally makes sense to me.  I’m more curious as to why you were discussing virginity with him in the first place.”  

With a wry little smile on her face, Dani added, “Yes, please expand on that topic.”  Jade looked at her, nodding, “I concur.  We need details now!”

Giggling you explained, “We were on the phone Monday night and I told him no one plays a vulnerable, emotionally tortured, 98 year old virgin like him!” You sobered a bit when you realized the man playing the Cap was the total opposite.  You didn’t even want to imagine what his number would be.   

You saw Dani give a nod, agreeing with herself as she said, “I think I’ll send you a care package once I get home. Jumping back in like this deserves some fabulous goodies. I still get a crap ton of samples from various adult shops.” 

Joining in the teasing, Jade tapped Dani,  “I think you should make sure it has glow in the the dark condoms. Just for fun.”  

Rolling along with it you added, “Maybe handcuffs, ooh and a blindfold.”  You drank some more champagne and thought of Chris, and your favorite scene from the First Avenger when he comes out of the tank.  Smiling wickedly to yourself you said, “Maybe something I can lick off those abs and pecs?”

Jade did a spit take, and quickly moved to pull your glass away from you, “Alrighty then, I think you’ve had enough of this for now.”  Your hands trailed after the stem, before you fell back into the chair, sulking slightly.  “Well shit, I was enjoying that.”  You swapped your drink to vanilla cinnamon herbal tea, which was delicious, and finished your biscotti. 

Your group somehow managed to not get kicked out the spa for causing a ruckus.  Walking arm and arm, you made your way back to the room, working out plans for dinner. On the way through the lobby you popped over to see the concierge, smiling and making small talk.  After a bit of schmoozing you were able to snag reservations for dinner tonight at the Windsor Dining Room at 7:30.  Triumphantly, you walked over to the girls who were relaxing on the couch, taking in the vista outside the window, to tell them the news.  Not having to drive around looking for a restaurant would provide time to pack and relax a bit tonight.  

The restaurant was on the fancy side so you got dolled up with hair and makeup, and the wrap dress you loved so much.   You asked Dani to snap a picture of you, primping yourself first to make sure all your assets were at their best.  You took your phone back and sent a message to Chris.  

**Nicole** :  _ Just want to let you know everything is a lot clearer now.  We’re good.   _

Within a few seconds you got a reply. 

**My Captain:** _ I am so happy to hear that, you have no idea!  Can you talk? _

**Nicole** :   _ Not really, we’re getting ready to head down to dinner, have packing to do after _ …

**Nicole** :   _ But I do have a long 4 hour drive home tomorrow all by my lonesome.  Are you free to talk then?  Probably getting out of here @ 9am or so. _

**My Captain:** _ I’ll make sure I’m free.  Can’t wait to hear your voice.   _

**Nicole** :   _ Can’t help you with the voice right now, but I can help you with this. _ .

You send him the picture Dani took of you in your dress.

**My Captain:**  Y _ ou wearing the fucking dress out to dinner? _

**Nicole** :  _ Yep _ .

**My Captain** :  I  _ thought we agreed you were leaving that home? _

**Nicole** :   _ Nope _ .

**My Captain** :   _ You look positively sinful in that thing.   _

Sinful?  You’d show him sinful.  You checked to make sure no one was looking at you and turned away from your friends.  Turning the phone around to selfie mode you took a shot from up high.  You had your eyebrow quirked up, a smirk on your lips and ample cleavage showing.  You sent him the new shot. 

**Nicole:** _ Is this better?  More angelic? _

**My Captain:** _You’re mean!_

**Nicole:** _ So I’ve been told. _

**My Captain:** _ Wait.. is that the bra you were wiggling around? With the front closure? _

**Nicole:** _ You recognize my bra after seeing it for just a minute?  _

**My Captain:** _  Yes I do.  Looks good on, wonder how it would look … _

**Nicole:** _ Hey there, don't make me send you to the naughty chair!  _

**My Captain** :   _ Sorry, can't tell if that's a threat or an invitation _

You laughed, catching yourself before the girls got too curious, and decided to end it here.  The banter felt good, felt right. You didn't want to stop but it was almost time to go down anyway. 

**Nicole** :   _ Depends on my mood =)  As much fun as I’m having I really I have to go.  We have reservations. Talk to you tomorrow morning _ ?

**My Captain:** _Until tomorrow.  Have fun tonight, but not too much fun_!   

**Nicole** :  _ Have too much fun! Consider it done!! _

**My Captain:** _ Hey! That's not what I said! _

**Nicole:** _ Later tater lol _

You surveyed Dani and Jade, and they both looked beautiful!  A few more photos were taken in the room before making your way down to dinner.  The restaurant was surrounded by windows, and had a gorgeous view from every angle.  The meal superb, the talk lighthearted. Timing for everyone's departures were discussed and you all talked some more about your experiences this weekend. Initial brainstorming for the next gathering began as well. 

Towards the end of dinner, Jade excused herself to use the restroom.  Dani took the opportunity to ask if you could go somewhere for a private talk after your meal.  After the check was paid, you walked through the lobby to the lawn outside with Dani. Jade gave you a hug, saying she was going upstairs and would start working on your audit.

Crossing the lawn towards the lake and the woods, Dani began, “So. We gonna talk about last night?”

Taking a deep breath then blowing it out hard you conceded, “I guess we should. I’m sorry if I overreacted.”  

“It’s been a long time since you seemed this serious about someone.”

“True. If I’m honest, part of what bothers me, maybe the reason I got defensive, is that I only met him a week ago. How can we feel so strongly about each other in such a short stretch of time?  I dated guys for months that I never felt this way about.”

“He’s also not exactly Joe Schmo from down the block, where the biggest thing we needed to worry about was whether he was gonna be a dick and steal your laptop.”

Laughing lightly you admitted, “No, he’s definitely not. Instead of a laptop it’s my heart I gotta worry about getting stolen.”

You were approaching an area with wooden stairs that led down a pathway.  There were lamp posts guiding your way and benches every so often along the water.  She looked at you and said, “I know. I know you wouldn’t be continuing this if he hadn’t actually been awesome and genuine with you.”

“I’ve made my decision, and I know what I want to do, but you’ve always helped me see things through a different lens.  What would you do?”

“If it was me, I would fear the regret more than the heartbreak. At least with the heartbreak you connected on a deeper level with another human. The regret has always left me feeling rather empty and hollow inside.”

“Hmph. You know me and regrets, they’re my biggest fear. This could all blow up in my face so badly though. I hadn’t even thought about it, I was just living on my little cloud with him, y’know?”

“I know we were spewing out warnings and caution last night, and we do want you to be careful and safe. But, after thinking today, I started to worry that the regret could leave you with a deeper hurt for longer.”

You paused next to a bench, resting your hand on the back and leaning into it while you made eye contact with your oldest friend. “The yearning to be near him, to be his.  It consumes me sometimes. It scares me, but I don’t want to let it go.”

Placing her hand on your shoulder she confirmed, “So don't. You know that we love you and at the end of the day, whatever you've decided, that we are with you. To the end of the line, pal.”

You smiled adoringly at her then, “Geek. Shit Dan, I think I’m dating Chris Evans.  How the fuck does that happen?”

“It happened because he was lucky enough and smart enough to recognize how fucking awesome you are, and he just couldn't let you go.”

You stood there, arms around each other, heads leaning in for support. Letting this moment sink in and become a memory to draw upon later.  

“Yeah, he is a pretty smart fella. Not bad looking either,” you said after a few minutes.

“Meh, he's passable, his friend though!”  She brought her hand up to her heart, exaggerating a swoon. 

The two of you began walking back towards the hotel then. You couldn’t help but let the fantasy you just saw in your mind come out. “Could you imagine, you and Seb meeting through us, falling in love, little chubby dumplings running around!”  

She stood still a moment, planting her hands on her hips.  “Do not put that shit in my head, Nic! I'd never sleep again, just lay there forever constantly coming up with different scenarios of how to meet him.”

You shook your head, a wistful smile on your face, “To see that tongue poking and lip biting tease in person.*

“Bitch!  Besides, you know I don't want to make him uncomfortable. I'd die if he thought I was a stalker or something.”

You grew a little serious again as you continued your walk.  “That’s actually another concern of mine.  I feel like I should let Chris know I have a Tumblr account with Marvel fandom, but a lot of it has been him.  I don’t want him opening my App one day and flipping out.”

“You should definitely tell him, but maybe not all the way.”

A shocked look came over your face, “Noooo! Not all the way, totally agree with your there. I was thinking I could let him see a little bit of stuff, maybe pieces of my favorite fics, a photo or gif set  Only if he wants to of course, you know his anxiety issues.  I just hope he doesn’t think differently of me, knowing what a fan I was… am.”

“I’m sure he won’t. He’ll probably just want to know what sort of fantasies you’ve had about him.”

“I can see it now.. Um...well, ever since that first post-serum scene I’ve wanted to lick every piece of your torso.  Oh, and the clavicle tattoo.  Basically just want to use you like a lollipop, would that be okay, Chris?  After ‘What’s Your Number’ I’ve also wanted to bite your tush.  Just a little.”

Laughing, Dani replied, “Oh yeah, Nic. He’s gonna have a big problem with that. Huge. Swollen, even.”

You held onto her again, lowering your voice.  “Oh Dani, you should have seen him licking his ice cream cone in Boston!  Sitting with the kids, he caught me watching him from a few benches away, and started getting downright pornographic on it.  Fucking. bastard.”

“Hmm, sounds like I might just need to include some handcuffs in your care package just to keep that man in line. I wonder if I can find them in a fuzzy Cap Blue?”

With the hotel in sight you stopped for a moment, blushing, “Shit, I just got an image of him handcuffed, helpless, and at the mercy of my every whim. Or him having me tied up and at his complete control. Fuck, I need a cold shower!”

Within the hour everyone had packed up their things except for what was needed in the morning. The snacks and drinks were being divvied up, and anything open was being finished off. This includes the bottle of Tequila. Can’t let that go to waste.

You poured shots for yourself and Dani, handing Jade a bottle of Jones Berry Lemonade Soda. Lifting your glass you announced, “Ladies, I’d like to propose a toast. To another amazing Memorial Day weekend.  To the laughter, to the sorrow and tears, to the love I am so blessed to receive from you both.  I don’t know what I’d ever do without you. To my sisters, cheers!”  One shot down, you poured another round. 

Taking her shot glass from you, Dani began her toast. “Here’s to my girls, my ladies, my family. You always bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. You managed to bust me out of my block and get me closer to my fantasy of meeting Sebastian Stan and letting him know that...”

The rhyme came into your head and you had to let it out, interrupting her, “You covet his cock! I’m there for ya girl.”  You gave her a little fist pump. 

Hanging her head, Dani let out a gentle sigh. “I know. It’s true. I do. As long as you never tell him that, we’re good”

“Secret safe with me. Cheers!” Second shots taken, third one poured. You were sooo going to regret this in the morning. 

Jade cleared her throat, “Last shot?  Yeah, didn’t think so.”  She shook her head, laughing before continuing, “You’re my sisters from other misters, and I love you both.  You’re wonderful people, though kinda odd and inappropriate at times.”  She said this looking pointedly at you. You just smiled and shrugged your shoulders, she wasn't exactly wrong. “I think this weekend is about new chapters in our lives, so in the immortal words of Tori Amos, ‘Girls, you’ve gotta know when it’s time to turn the page.’ Here’s to new chapters!”

Dani and yourself joined in the toast, “To new chapters!”  Down the hatch went round three. 

With a devilish grin, Dani snuck over to her bags. “And now, a little something for our dearest Nicole, going off to explore the vast reaches of the Evans’ cock. A helpmate, of a sort, for getting your mouth back into fighting shape.”

“Oh sweet baby Jesus, I’m scared to ask. And that’s IF I do, you never know. I could resist the need to lick him all over!”  Even as you said this you were shaking your head, knowing you could never, ever resist that if given the chance. 

Jade came and held you by the waist, giving a evil laugh. “You should be afraid.  Very afraid, in fact.  You really think I let you talk to me about the giant for fun?  That should have set off alarm bells for you.”

“What did you guys do?!”  Now you were turning red, not having a clue what they had in store for you.

Jade continues, “I seem to recall something about ‘What didn’t I do’ from you this weekend?  Payback’s a bitch, you know that.”

You looked at Dani still rustling around in her bags, then at Jade who looked like she just won the lottery. This was not a good face as far as you were concerned. Warily you said,  “Your face looks like I need a drink. Liquid courage anyone?”  You attempted to pour another shot but your cousin pulled it away from you.  Chastising her, you wagged your finger, “You keep doing that!”  She stuck her tongue out at you, keeping the booze out of reach. 

“Ta-da!”  Yelled Dani, pulling out a bouquet stuffed full with a wide variety of chocolate cocks. “So, we’ve got dark, milk, white, cream-filled, and solid. And of course, some instructions,” she said pointing to the sweet little sign proclaiming, “Quick, hide that chocolate in my mouth!”

Beside you Jade teased softly, “Be careful though, we wouldn’t want you to choke. You’d have a tough time explaining  _ that _ to the Paramedics, and Chris.  Just take little nibbles.”

You were absolutely stunned!  Laughter ripped through you so strong that you had to fall into a chair.  You were doubled over with it, finding it hard to breathe. “Oh my fucking God! I feel like this is my bachelorette party or some shit like that.  You guys are fucking nuts and I love ya for it.”

For the next half hour you all took blackmail shots of each other. Dani whipped out a stack of post-it notes and some sharpie markers. Everyone wrote little quotes to hold up next to their choice of lollipop: Just a nibble;  Just a lick;  Melts in your mouth, not in your hand; Just having a little taste; Hard on the outside, creamy on the inside; How many licks does it take?; Insert slot a into slot b; Just the tip; and Creamy Capsicle.  In addition to the silly notes, the three of you also made some serious ones on flash paper in preparation for the morning.

It was almost midnight by the time the fun wound down.  You crawled towards your pillows, feeling content and happy this time, with a much clearer direction of where you were heading.

At 5:30 am the three of you took your rolled up pieces of flash paper, Dani grabbed a lighter.  You walked down to a bridge overlooking the large lake behind the hotel. From here, at 5:41 am, the sun would rise into view and you, Jade and Dani would finish your vacation with a tradition that began 4 years ago.  You coined it, Release and Embrace.  Each of you would say out loud something you were letting go of.  It could be a feeling, a bad habit, anything that was holding you back from being your best self.  Then you would say something you were embracing in its place.  A few years ago someone suggested that the ideas be written down and burned to signify the true release and rebirth.  Flash paper had been chosen because it was eco friendly and worked quickly.  

As the sun came up, illuminating the water, birds singing happily in the new day, Dani pulled her paper from her pocket and began.  “This year I am choosing to release my internal negativity.  Criticism is all well and good, but plain negativity does nothing but hurt.  I will instead embrace joy, and a feeling of self worth.” She lit her paper on fire, letting it fly out of her hand and burn up before the ashes fell into the lake.  

You gripped your paper tightly as you began, “This year I will release fear of the unknown.  I will stop using it as protection.  Instead I will embrace hope.  I will allow good things to come my way and stop running away when they do.”  You took a deep breath, lit your scroll, and let it go.  

Jade held her paper by her side and looked out over the water. She stared for a few moments, then looked up, and said, “This year I’m releasing the shame I’ve carried.  I recognize why I felt it for so long, but it has no place in the life I’ve created for myself now.  Instead, I’m embracing my ability to help others, and focusing on supporting those who need it.” She took the lighter from you, and lit the paper, but held onto it for a moment, before finally letting it go.

Leaning on the railing of the bridge, you watched the sun rise up, replacing the darkness as it spread its light along your little part of the world.  It was cleansing, a fresh start.  This was one of your favorite parts of the gathering every year. Both a sense of closure and a new beginning. Just after 6 am your trio began walking back to the hotel.  Delicious smells came wafting through lobby as soon as you opened the door. Following the trail, you found the breakfast buffet set up, piping hot and fresh.  You did a little happy dance in your seat when they brought out the carafe of french pressed coffee and a pitcher of steamed milk.  Plates full of eggs, crispy bacon, and biscuits, you all ate in relative quiet before the rest of the guests began to wander in.  Before heading back to the room, you grabbed a few pieces of fruit and some pastries for later.  You belly was satisfied right now but it was early and there were several more hours at the hotel and a long drive ahead.  

It was around 9 am when you gathered the last few items and prepared to leave.  You would be the first one out, given the distance you needed to drive.  Leaving this early should allow enough time to make it over the George Washington Bridge area without too much traffic.  Dani would be the last to check out since she had a flight booked for 2 pm.  Everyone embraced, and tears were shed.  It had been an emotional weekend, but it had also been amazing and cathartic in so many ways.  Hugging Dani tightly you told her, “I will see you in August!” Moving onto Jade, “I better see you before then!”  You pulled away from the Skytop Lodge, glancing at your rearview mirror, you saw the beautiful building, and wondered when you might come back...and with whom. 

Once you were on the highway, you finally made your phone call to Chris.  There was no light hearted singing this time.  There was some laughter of course, it was you and Evans after all, but overall the mood was rather serious.  “Have you made a decision?” he asked trepidatiously. 

“I have. I don’t know where this will end up or how the hell we’re going to pull it off, but I want to be with you. I want to give us a chance.” 

“Yes!” he said loudly, making you giggle.  You heard him let out an audible sigh of relief that brought a warm smile to your face, feeling like you had made the right choice. 

Then Chris told you how after your call on Saturday he had been so upset, so worried he may have lost you, that he had gone straight to him Mom’s house to talk.  He told her everything.  “I’m not gonna lie, there may have been a few tears.”

All you could think to yourself at that moment was “Nicole.. You bitch!”  You remembered making a comment on Tumblr once.  There was a photo of Chris looking sad, and you mentioned how the one good thing about knowing you would probably never meet him, was knowing that you would also never be the reason for that expression. Yet here you were, not only making him sad, but apparently having made him cry.  You’d do your best to keep that from happening again.  

You described your trip to Columcille, and told him about David. You thought you had witnessed Chris’ protective side before when he heard about the date that attacked you.  This was on a whole other level.  The good thing was that now you both understood where your fear was coming from, and could work together to overcome it.  He admitted to having a few hangups of his own from prior relationships.  How it bothered him sometimes that every girl he dated had always ended up breaking things off with him, never the other way around.  How his fear was that you were about to do the same, before things even got a chance to begin. 

“And risk the Avengers coming to kick my ass?  Hell to the no! I’d be worried about finding Bucky hiding in my apartment one night, eating some plums, eager for revenge.”  He barked out a laugh, you felt better about the tears now.  This was the sound that you lived for.  

Chris told you about his scolding from his publicist and her recommendations for keeping things under wraps.  You told him Dani was happy to hear he was bringing her on board.  After a long chewing out she gave him a list of things to talk to you about.  Ideas to help keep your relationship off the radar, like not holding hands in public or other pda, and keeping social media clear of any mentions.  She had been scouring the internet for any mention of Chris in Boston last Sunday and had found a few things.  She had several fake accounts on social media, helpful when she wanted to comment on something and throw people off.  This time she put in how she had heard Chris had family visiting the area and was probably taking them around for a tour.   She hoped putting something like that out there would catch on, and deflect attention away from you.  

You explained Jade’s concerns about things in your past being used against you and how she was running an audit of your online activities.  You didn’t think there was much to worry about, but it would be nice to be prepared, just in case.  He was quiet for a moment, then said he agreed that it was probably a good idea.  Ending the call for break at a rest stop, things were lighter once you resumed your drive and the conversation.

Talk turned to his time off in June, it would be the weekend after his birthday. He was hoping to come see you for the weekend, then drive home to Boston for a couple of days before flying back to Atlanta on Wednesday.  You told him there were plans for Maddie’s birthday and Father’s day, but that you would work it out. There was no way in hell you weren’t seeing him!  He checked on flights while you were driving, finding that the only direct ones would bring him into Laguardia.  He was debating between renting a car or having a service pick him up when you broke in, “Not gonna happen, I’m coming to get you. The airport is under construction and you’ll be lost in Flushing forever!  Besides, I want every second I can get with you.  We can get you a rental car over the weekend.”

You were still just over an hour from home when the call came to a close.  He was leaving the next day for Atlanta, and had a few appointments today in Boston.  You made plans to speak tonight.  It saddened you both to realize your nightly calls would likely not happen for a while.  Shooting schedules being what they were, it was going to be impossible to speak every day the way you had grown accustomed to doing. But you had tonight. And you had only 19 days. 19 more days until you got to hold him again. Kiss those luscious lips. Feel his strong arms around you again.  You lit up when you realized his birthday was coming, the same day as Maddie’s actually.  Maybe you should send him a care package too?  With a devilish grin, your mind began to race with ideas to fill up the box.  This was going to be fun.  


	17. Long Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole's connection grows deeper as they spend the time leading up to his visit to New York getting to know through calls and funny, sexy moments over the internet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a special thanks to Saffreelove for voicing Dani for me this chapter

The first two weeks after your mini vacation went by at a snail’s pace.  Chris had returned to work, so your nightly calls were sporadic due to his shooting schedule.  It’s amazing how quickly you can become used to a new routine, and you missed those conversations so much.  You endured the short talks and enjoyed every moment of them, but you lived for the nights he was off so you could enjoy all night skype sessions together.  

You kept in contact during your days as well, but mainly through quick text messages.  Most of them just silly, for no reason other than to make the other person laugh.  It became a sort of competition, to see who could send the most obscure gif, or drop a movie or song line for no reason. Messages like: “Istanbul, not Constantinople” (the song got stuck in his head all day, and you were chastised for the musical ear worm that night) and “Holy shit weasels, that was close!” got hilarious reactions, and you wondered if you would get caught laughing alone in your office when you were on your phone.  

He was on a roll one day, sending texts every few minutes when he was on a break and feeling playful. You sent him a message that said, “Wait, do you smell that?”  Followed with a gif of a Kung Fu Panda farting and knocking over a bunch of giant mice with the smell. He called you after he got it, and was laughing so hard you could barely understand him. Even grown assed men turned into little boys when it came to fart jokes.

You busied yourself with work and your family, going back to your old daily rituals.  With Chris and Maddie’s birthdays coming up on the 13th, you also spent some time shopping for them.  You were putting together a package to send to Atlanta.  Hopefully he would like it as much as you loved yours.

Arrangements were made for an early morning flight into LaGuardia airport to avoid crowds, and to get as much time together as possible.   You volunteered to pick him up, and he would get a rental car on Monday morning to drive into Boston.  Maddie was having a party with her friends at a bouncy place, but afterwards there would be a gathering of just immediate family at your brothers for a bbq. Chris was on board to spend Saturday with everyone.  He was going to be staying at your apartment instead of at a hotel, and that was exciting to think about.  Dangerously exciting.

Over the phone one night you provided him with the party details. He sounded like an excited kid, “I can't wait to see Maddie’s face when she realizes I actually showed up for her birthday. It's gonna be priceless!”

“You know she’s gonna lose her mind! And I’ll keep my title of Coolest Aunt Ever for bringing Captain America to her party!  By the way, they have a big in-ground pool so make sure you bring a bathing suit.”

“What? Don't want to see me skinny dipping?” He teased.

“Not a chance, Evans. In fact, you better bring a t-shirt to cover up that horrendous upper body of yours. Nobody should be subjected to that!” you snarked back.  You heard him laugh on the other end, playfully resigning with a sigh.

“Fine, I’ll make sure I’m decent. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone. I’ll get to tell your parents what a bad influence you are on me. Taking advantage of me in parks, teaching me to curse like a sailor...”

“Mmm hmm. I know, you’re such an angel. I can see your halo from here. It's that bent, twisted, singed looking thing sitting kinda cockeyed above your head, right?”

“Ding, ding, ding! Yep, that’s the one!”

“Thought so. Anyway, my parents know I’m an angel, they’d never believe a charlatan like you.”

“They don't know you too well, do they?”

You gave him a shocked sound, putting your hand to your chest, “Excuse me sir, but they know me as well as they need to, fuck you very much.  Some things are just on a need to know basis, that’s all.”  

“Well, I tell my mom everything.”

“Poor Lisa.  She has to dye her hair to cover the grays a lot, doesn’t she?”

He barked out a laugh, and you gave yourself a pat on the back.  You loved being the reason for that sound.  

“Let’s just say she had to start coloring her hair at a pretty early age.”  You could still hear the smile in his voice.  

The weeks leading up to his visit saw you growing closer with each conversation.  Sure there was the one odd night when he went on a political rant for over 30 minutes.  He finally caught himself and apologized, saying he had spent a good chunk of the day with Ruffalo, and it had sparked his rage again.  You loved how passionate he got about this, and teased him about becoming too close to the real Cap, ready to go punch Nazis. 

Towards the end of the second week you realized that each call made you more and more attracted to him, but not just on a physical level.  There were so many layers to this guy, so many little facets of his personality that the public never gets to see.  The more you got to see of those parts, the deeper down the rabbit hole you fell.  He had also become one of your closest friends.  In just a few short weeks, you had grown closer to him than you were to almost everyone you saw in daily life. He was an amazing listener, insightful with his comments, and could make you laugh in an instant.  It occurred to you that your past relationships weren't like this. They were lovers, but you weren’t truly friends with any of them.  You made a promise to yourself at that moment to never compromise for anything less than both again. 

Conversations ranged from topics far and wide, some silly, some that opened up discussions that lasted the entire call.  He had brought his dog to stay with him during the shoot. You loved watching Dodger’s tongue reach out to randomly lick Chris’ face when they were stretched out on the sofa together. 

One night, he knew you were coming home exhausted after a particularly difficult day at work.  When you connected to him on skype, you were surprised to see Dodger’s face on the screen, dressed in a Red Sox t-shirt.  That was when you noticed the human hands folded beside a plate of food.  Music was playing in the background, and you watched as this man-child pretended Dodger was treating himself to a meal using utensils. He frequently missed his mouth, sloppily drank from a glass, the whole works.  You nearly pissed your couch from laughter.  Dodger kept trying to see you closer, pushing his nose to the screen, which made you laugh even harder, and eventually he started licking food off the table.  

On other nights, you just talked and there was always something new to learn. One evening, you were eating chinese together, though many miles apart, when you started to ask each other random questions.  When you asked what his biggest fear was, his answer was the same as yours. Regret.  

Chris asked you, “What’s the weirdest dream you ever had?”  You immediately answered,  “Skipping my way down the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, with a naked Robin Williams.  I think we were singing, but I can’t be sure.  Why was he naked?  Why were we there?  Why was I randomly dreaming about him, and that furry naked body at all?  I have never had a fucking clue.”  He dropped his fork, leaning into the table laughing with you for over two minutes.  

You asked if he ever daydreamed and what it was about.  “I daydream all the time.” He admitted.  “Usually about getting away for a while, maybe spending time in India, learning ways to just be still, y’know?  A lot of my fantasies seem to be about a normal life.  No paps following me, people looking to get things from me, just do what I love for a living and not have all the bullshit that comes with the job.  The bullshit is the hardest part of all of this.” He sounded so down as he explained this.   You realized what a double edged sword his level of fame must be.  To have the freedom to make movies you can be proud of, money to do whatever you want, and the influence to help those in need.  Yet unlike a normal person, he couldn’t go grocery shopping or to a restaurant, without fear of someone following him to take a photo or piss him off to make a sound bite. His every word was subjected to scrutiny and things were taken out of context all the time.  You couldn’t imagine having to live like that.  That little voice in you head warned you that you may not have to imagine it, that you could be living it soon.  You shut that shit down, not willing to think about it right now. 

Another chat found you asking, “Did you ever have a funny nickname?”  He answered without pause, “What, you mean other than ‘meatball’?” He launched into childhood tales of he and his siblings, and friends from his hometown.  He was a wonderful storyteller, drawing you right into the memories.  He asked you the same and you answered, “Giggle stick! Remember those long sticks when were kids that you would shake and they had a little thing inside that would sound like laughter?  I would laugh for so long and so hard, that my friends nicknamed me after it.”

Another night he lamented that he didn't have a piano to play for you. “That's okay, pianos are overrated. I’m all about the cowbell now.”

“You can never have too much cowbell.” He agreed.

“I got a fever, and the only prescription, is more cowbell!” You did this in your best Christopher Walken voice.

This launched the two of you into an hour long chat of your favorite old SNL skits. You were  both looking them up on YouTube, laughing at them for the millionth time. The Jeopardy ones had you in tears.  You began to randomly call him Turd Ferguson afterwards.

As you were saying your goodbyes for the night you told him, “By the way, I’m sooo over the cowbell now.  Next time you call, you better have a glockenspiel!”

Silly dares were also created after the night with Dodger’s dinner. There was dancing for one minute to a Swedish disco song of the other person’s choosing.   Naturally, the search for Swedish disco brought up ABBA, and you found yourselves singing Fernando together. It would have been better if you could belt it out, but you held back because you were a good neighbor. You took turns impersonating celebrities, (he tried Hemsworth, his Aussie accent was painful), and singing Elton John songs in pig latin. You dared him to recreate a scene from one of his movies. He asked which one and you said anything but the one where he wore the dress. 

“Oh shit! You saw that one?” He winced and mumbled apologies.

“I’ve seen them all, and you owe me a lot more than sorry.”  A little sheepishly you added, “I’ll admit that I just fast forwarded to your scenes in a lot of them. Some scenes I’d rewind, then play, then rewind and play again. Maybe once...or twelve times.”  He responded with a cocky grin.

Seeing that grin, you made your decision.  You went with your favorite non-Marvel movie of his.  “I choose ‘What’s Your Number?’ and the underwear scene, you pick which one since that describes pretty much all of your scenes.”  You weren’t sure if he was going to agree or not, but then he stood up without answering, and walked out of view of the camera.  A minute later he was back in the room, wearing gray boxer briefs, holding an imaginary basketball and pretending to play.

It was a fangirls dream! Seeing him almost naked and jumping around like that was getting you extremely turned on. You barely blinked, not wanting to miss a moment of his show.  Watching him, you had your fingers over your lips, trying to suppress your giggles when you realized your Tumblr friend was right. There was a gif of Chris in the “Winter Soldier” where he’s running past Sam in sweatpants and his dick is swinging wildly as he’s approaching on the left. You would reblog it and comment with “Thump, thump, thump.” Your friend always countered, “No, it’s whump, whump, whump.”  She was right, it was large, it was heavy, and it was definitely a whump.  If only you could tell her, but this was just for you.  He finished his scene, returning to his seat and devilishly wiggling his brows at you. 

“Satisfied?”

"And then some!”

He leaned his head back, examining you before pointing, “You may want to get a napkin or something, looks like you have a bit of drool coming down over there.”

“You’re an ass!”

“From those looks I saw, you like my ass. A lot.”

“I can’t lie, it’s a heinie fit for biting.”

“Maybe I’ll let you test that theory next weekend.”

Now it was your turn give a sly smile and wiggle of the brow.  You let your fantasies explode after saying goodnight.  You hadn’t crossed the line into Skype sex.   Jade had warned you to be careful because of hackers, but you also held off because you didn’t want anything over a computer. You wanted him in the flesh, and you would be seeing him soon. 

Not all conversations were light and breezy with Chris.  You got to know his moods well, able to read him now almost as easily as he could read you.  He was clearly off his game one night and you called him on it.

“Spill it, Evans.  What’s going on behind those pretty blue eyes of yours?”

“Nothin’, I’m...”

“Aah!” you said, cutting him off quickly. “If you say you’re fine, then I’m outta here.  Talk to me. I can tell your mind is somewhere else.”  You were sitting in bed, leaning on a pile of pillows, the tablet a soft glow in front of you.  Strange how intimate this could feel, even though you were a thousand miles apart. 

He took in a deep breath and set his jaw before speaking.  “I just can’t wait to be home. I want to see you so bad, but I also miss my home…my family.  It’s only been a few weeks, and already I need a break from this.”

You said nothing, knowing he just needed to share, not hear solutions.  “Don’t get me wrong, this job, this is amazing.  I’m going to miss these people so much next year when my contract is through, but for now,”  he looked around the room trying to find the words, “For now all I can see is the hard part.  The next 9 months or so of filming, then the reshoots, press tours, junkets, premieres, interviews.  It’s overwhelming sometimes.”

“What you’re feeling makes sense. As much as I like vacations, I find myself craving my bed, my creature comforts. I can’t imagine having to stay away for months the way you do.”  Trying to help him see a silver lining you asked, “I saw an interview where you said you’d like to focus on directing more once your Marvel contract is over, is that something you’ll pursue?  I loved what you did with ‘Before We Go.’”

“Thanks, I was pretty happy with it.  It was a good first try.  But I have 3 to 4 acting projects lined up next year, and I still haven’t found the script I’m looking for.  It’ll probably be awhile before I just get to take a few months off again.  I’m grateful for the work, but…”  He didn’t finish the sentence, just slowly shook his head.  

You saw his shoulders slump down and you wished you could be there to rub them for him, and assure him that he would be okay.  Instead, you just let your head fall down onto the pile of pillows you were leaning on, looking at him sideways.  You could empathize with him, if not fully sympathize.  He was part of your life now. These commitments would mean more time apart.  You wondered, not for the first time, how you were going to handle being apart so often as time went on.  You pushed the thought out of your head for now, instead just focusing on being here for him in this moment.  When he looked at you again, he was met with the eyes of a woman who cared deeply for him, who was looking at him with a soft smile on her closed lips, and understanding in her eyes.   No words were needed, your exchange was done silently, his shoulders relaxed, his emotions calmed.  

“I can’t wait to hold you, Nicole.”   

“9 more days, Chris.  Just 9 more days.”  Then you comedically slumped down into your pillows, faking a crying fit. You couldn’t let him go on a sad note and we're grateful when you heard the smiles his voice.

The Friday before his birthday (and final week before he would come join you), you ran to the post office to put his package in the mail, ensuring it would be there before the 13th.  When some colleagues invited you to happy hour that evening, you readily agreed. Chris was supposed to be shooting from mid afternoon until well after midnight, so there was no reason to worry about rushing home.  

You had a blast with your co-workers. Two of them were wonderful women; one a young attorney, and the other a fellow paralegal. You rounded out your party with two guys who were file clerks.  After the first hour, you all decided to stay for dinner and continue your good time.  One of the girls took a picture of everyone squished in tight at the table with big smiles on your faces, and tagged you on Facebook.  

Around 8:30, you left the restaurant, and pulled your phone out of your purse for the first time since arriving.  When you were spending time with people, you preferred to engage with them, and kept your phone stashed away unless you were expecting a call or text.  You suddenly found that you had missed several texts and calls from Chris.   Before you started driving, you called him on your bluetooth. The call picked up as you pulled out of the parking lot, and you greeted him when he answered, but the voice on the other end was not happy. In fact, it was downright snippy.   

“Why didn't you answer me? I’ve been trying to reach you for hours,” he said, completely serious.

Taken aback by his tone, you responded a bit defensively, “Because I didn’t hear my phone!  I was out with friends and it was loud.  _ Someone _ was supposed to be busy until after 1 am!”

“Yeah, well the schedule got changed up.”

“ Great.   How was I supposed to know that?”

“By answering your phone,” he replied sarcastically.

You clenched your jaw, beginning to get annoyed. “I keep my phone in my purse when I’m out. Especially when I’m not expecting a call from someone who’s supposed to be busy.”

“And just where were you all night?

  
“All night?! It’s not even 9 pm for Christ’s sake. I was out to dinner with some friends from work.”

“Dinner? For over 3 hours?”

“Yes. Dinner. We went to a Mexican place for happy hour and stayed to eat. Why?”

“Who was there?”

“I already told you, friends from work.”

“Like girlfriends?”

“Friends. From. Work.  A couple were girls, a couple were guys. 5 of us went. What the hell is your problem right now?” This line of questioning was so out of the ordinary for him, you wondered what the hell had suddenly crawled up his ass.

“I don’t have a problem. I just didn't know you were going out.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had to clear it with you. Especially if you weren't going to be affected by it.”

“You don’t.” He forced out a breath. “Listen, I’m sorry. When you didn't answer me for so long I got worried, and then I got pissed. Who were these guys you went with?”

“Co-workers, and they’re just friends.  You know, if Scarlet or, or, Lizzie asked you to dinner, I’d expect you to go and have a great time.  What’s the hell’s your deal right now?”

“Nothing, I’m just...I didn’t expect you to be out with guys at a bar, that’s all.”

This line of questioning was getting you aggravated, and a little angry . “You don’t trust me or something?”

“No, no, that’s not it.  Not at all.  Of course I trust you, Nicole.”

“Then what is it?  Cause I give you complete trust. I never question  _ you _ about what  _ you’re _ doing.  You say you’re working late, and I believe you.”  You paused a moment, before adding,  “But I just realized, I have no idea if that’s truly what you’re doing. You could be anywhere with anyone, and I’d be none the wiser unless it showed up online or something.”

With his voice rising, he responded, “It is what I’m doing! What reason would I have for lying to you?”  

“Well it's not it would be the first time someone used working late as an excuse to me,” you snarked, unpleasantly remembering David for a moment.  The thought smacked you hard, and it prompted you to bring up something you hadn’t discussed before.  This seemed the perfect time to address it though.  “But for that matter, what’s to say I’m the only person you’re seeing right now?  For all I know I’m just one of a many.  We have no lockdown on our relationship that I know of.   We’ve never discussed being exclusive.  I know I’m not dating anybody else, but I can’t say the same for you .”

Now his voice changed, no longer angry but adamant, “Whoa, just wait a minute! I’m not seeing anyone else, nor do I plan to.  I was single for months when we met, and I have no desire to be with anyone but you right now!  I’m a one woman man, and that one woman is you. You got that?”

Those words cut your tension immediately. He spoke with such passion that it made your breath hitch before answering softly, “I got that.”  You couldn't form any other words right now, as tears were beginning to prick your eyes.

He spoke quietly, adding, “Unless you’re looking for someone else.  Maybe someone you could see whenever you wanted to.” His voice trailed off as the end, sounding a bit resigned.

You had just pulled up in front of your apartment and sat in the car for a moment before answering,  “No Chris, there’s no one else I’m interested in seeing.  It’s only you. I’d take long distance with you over someone here any day.”  

You heard him blow out a breath, “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

It hit you how vulnerable he sounded.  For some reason you just never thought someone like him could be insecure, but it was human nature after all. 

“Listen, I just got home.  Why don’t we take a little break here. I’ll go inside to freshen up, hit you up on skype in 15 minutes? That is, if you’re going to be around.”

“I’ll be here. And, I’m sorry if I came off like an asshole. It's just when I saw you, um, when I saw that you weren't answering for so long, I kinda freaked. I had no right to. Please don't be mad, ok?”

“It's okay, I get it. This long distance thing isn't easy. I really can't wait for next weekend.” 

“Me too, Nicole. See you in a few.” You hung up with him and relaxed into your seat, letting everything slowly sink in. Officially knowing that you were exclusive chipped away the guards you hadn’t even realized were up.  You felt more relaxed knowing where things stood.  It was a concern you didn’t realize was so deep until now. 

After collecting your mail, you went into the apartment and changed out of your clothes, and put on some shorts and a tank top. Before calling him, you poured yourself a glass of white wine, and settled down on the couch. His words kept playing in your mind, and you allowed yourself to consider the possibilities for next weekend. When he popped up on skype, all of those possibilities, and looking at Chris’  impossibly perfect face on the screen,  made you feel a bit flushed (Ok, the wine probably helped as well).  About an hour into the call, when things were back to normal and on a much lighter note, you decided to up the ante a bit, and asked him to download an app Jade had told you about, a dirty take on Truth or Dare. He eagerly agreed to it and soon the game commenced.  The first question was for him.  

“Okay Chris, what’s your favorite body part to have kissed again and again?” You could think of lots of places on him you’d want to kiss again and again.  

“I don’t know that I have a particular spot.  I just love kissing in general. Passionate kissing, to me, can be better than sex.”  This made you think of your night in the park, causing your body to heat at the memory of his touch.   He noticed the change in you, reading your reaction, and gave you a look that made you squirm in your seat.  

“Nicole, you mentioned that it had been years since you last had sex.  Exactly how long are we talking?”

Knowing you couldn’t hide anything on your face you decided to answer honestly, although you couldn’t bring yourself to look at the screen. The curtains on your window suddenly needed your attention.  “Three years, four months, and a few days.”

His hands were talking before his mouth started, “Fahck, Nic! How the hell have you managed that? I’d go nuts!” 

“It hasn’t exactly been easy.  That was the last time I had actual full intercourse.  I had a moment of weakness about 2 years ago, but it was pretty much just mutual masturbation. He was so drunk he didn’t even finish,” you said with a little shrug.

“Can I ask why you’ve been waiting so long?  Not that there’s anything wrong with it. I’m just genuinely curious, and oddly impressed.”

Tucking your hair behind your ears, you tried to figure out the best way to explain yourself. “I don’t know, it certainly wasn’t planned or anything.  I just, I guess I was just so hurt after what David did to me.  So mistrustful. I wasn't interested in anything casual after him. I had one more relationship that lasted a while, but I don’t know that I ever fully opened up to him.  It was just self preservation, and I feel horrible about it now, but I can’t change that. It was shortly after him that I decided not to have sex unless I felt a deep connection to a guy.  I always felt like shit afterwards, and I wasn’t doing that to myself anymore, so I decided I would try something different.”

“Did you still date though, after you’d decided that?”

“Yeah.  They weren’t too happy, but that was their problem.  It wasn’t that all sex was off the table, but I wasn’t sleeping with them.  The first year was the hardest.  After that, it became almost like a game.  How long could I wait for the right guy?”

“And then you had your blueballed man,”  he chuckled, enjoying his little nickname for the guy.

“I seem to be good at creating that kind of man, don’t I?  Yes, it was a drunken moment of weakness, but even then I had the sense to not go against my principles. Only a diamond in the rough will get to go spelunking inside of this cave of wonders.”

Chris lost it, the laughter was loud and took over his whole body.  You saw him rock backwards, grabbing at his left pec, and slapping his leg.  You lived for these kinds of reactions, and you were getting damn good at getting them.  

“Holy shit!” he exclaimed, wiping at the tears in his eyes. “You’re fachking quoting Aladdin to me while describing your re-virginity? God, I love you sometimes.”

Um, did he just?  Yeah, he did just say that.  You let it slide, not mentioning the comment but secretly storing it in your mind to replay later.  

You kept the theme going, “Yep, Abu keeps trying to steal my cherry, but I clamped that shit down tight.  No one’s getting in unless they’re worthy and meet my criteria. This is my shot at a do-over. My real first time was rushed and horrible, and a big regret for me. I want this time to be the way I always dreamed it should be.” You smiled at him, continuing to make him giggle.

“And what makes a man worthy? What’s this criteria you speak of?”  he asked in a deep voice, while looking up at you through those ridiculous eyelashes. 

“Well, there’s trust, and I’ve got to feel completely comfortable with him in every way. Both mentally and physically. I want him to be experienced because it’'s been so long.  I want someone who can blow my mind, and make me remember how powerful sex can be.  I want there to be no distractions. Just me and him taking our time, discovering and exploring each other. I want to feel so much passion and love for him, that it all consumes me.”

You saw his eyes darken while staring at you through the screen.  You gulped involuntarily, your breath coming in faster.  You didn’t know what to say, but the sudden tension was killing you, and your brain fired out the first thing to came to mind. “You have the look of a man about to buy a helmet and a headlamp.”  You barely got the last word out, before your laughter erupted so hard that you had to put your tablet down.  You could hear him matching you, so loudly that he made Dodger howl.  

When you had both calmed down, and could hold a conversation again, he put his hand on the screen as if trying to touch your face.  “I don’t know where the hell you get this shit from, but please don’t ever stop sharing these lines with me.”

“I promise that I will continue torturing you with my vivid imagination.” You solemnly swore you would  _ always _ be up to no good with him.

“I’m holding you to it,” he said, while backing away from the screen and pointing a finger at you.

There were a few more fun calls over the days leading up to his birthday surprise.  Then one day, you got his text while you were at work, saying that he’d received a box and wanted to know when he could open it.  Chris agreed to wait until you got home from work, but he seemed really eager to open it before then.

When you got home and settled in, you rang him on Skype.  Now you could see how excited he was to open his gift, and he quickly tore open the box and pulled out the first package.  “What the fahck!?” He exclaimed in disbelief.

“What’s wrong, Chris?”  You asked innocently, knowing full well what his remark was about. 

“Fahcking Mets paper!?  Didn’t I send you some perfectly good Red Sox paper you could have wrapped this in?”

“Yes, you did.  It made perfect kindle for the fire when we made s'mores last week.”

Chris opened the first package, pretending that his fingers were being burned just by touching the wrapping, and opened a box containing a certificate for a star that would be named after him.  Being a space nut, this put a huge dorky grin on his face.  The next package contained a plush hammerhead shark (because they were more funny looking than scary). You had a great laugh when he opened a gift card holder that dropped blue and orange glitter everywhere, and played Carl Douglas singing “Kung Fu Fighting.” He gave you a nasty look, and thanked you for the mess. Inside was an iTunes gift card ($25 of course). You attached a post-it note to the card saying that he could use the it to buy an app for a piano, guitar, or glockenspiel, so that he could play music when he was on the go.  There was a fresh Lavender sachet, and you hoped the calming scent would help with his anxiety.  There was a box containing a nightlight that cast the stars and planets across the ceiling. A bumper sticker that read “#1 Mets fan” was in there just for the fun of his reaction. A Smurfs t-shirt that read “Space Cadet” got a laugh out of him. You happily watched (and inwardly groaned) as he pulled his current shirt off, and you got a look at his naked torso before he put his new Smurf shirt on. Lastly, wrapped packages of Starburst jellybean bags and Milky Way bars (because of the name), for which he gave you a roguish smile.  You had a feeling the candy wasn’t going to last very long.

There was one handmade element that you added. Using scrapbook paper that was cut into strips, you set about writing down affirmations, uplifting or poignant quotes, some funny lines to make him smile, and sometimes just a single word to meditate upon. “Yes” being your favorite out of all of them.  You cut them up, folding each, and placed them into a beautiful fabric bag.  A note was attached that explained he could pull a strip whenever he felt the need for comfort, or to connect and slow down.  

“This was so thoughtful, I absolutely love it.  Thank you so much, babe.”  You could see from his face how touched he was, and he pulled his first strip from the bag.  “You are exactly where you need to be right now,” he read out loud. Chris looked straight at the camera and said, “I may be exactly where I  _ need _ to be right now, but that’s not the same as being where I  _ want _ to be right now.”  Someone must have set a fire because your cheeks were suddenly ablaze. You were only able to speak for a little while longer before he had to head to bed because of an early shoot the next morning. 

The next night found you having dinner and cake at your brother’s house for Maddie’s birthday.  Before cutting her cake, she wanted to record a video for Chris with everyone singing “Happy Birthday” to him, and she would blow out the candles on his behalf.  It was recorded and sent then, since he wasn’t able to talk when she was ready.  You also sent him a video Ryan took of you having a dance off with the kids to Flo-Rida’s “Welcome to my House”.  He got it late that night and sent you a message to thank you, complimenting your booty shaking. He had worked late and then gone out with some friends for his birthday.  He was now even more excited to surprise “his sweet little birthday twin.”

On Wednesday there was a delivery waiting for you again, only this time it was from Dani.  You pulled out a large box printed with Captain America logos  When you opened it, you laughed your ass off at the contents, grateful to be near the counter so you could lean on it.  Dani had outdone herself this time.  You called her and she answered almost immediately, then you pounced.

“You fucking lunatic!  I don’t know whether to hug you or kill you for this!”

“ Hugs first, always. Anyways, I can hear the smile in your voice. You love it, Ho!”

Laughing, you admitted, “You know me too well. I’ll be lucky to see the man more than once a month.  When the hell will I have the chance to use half this stuff?”

“You better get busy then with the time you have.  Have you decided what you’re doing this weekend?  Set any mental or physical boundaries with Chris? ”

“Not really, no.  I just don’t know that I’ll be comfortable getting naked in front of him. You’ve seen his past girlfriends. Flat abs, toned thighs, asses you can bounce quarters off of.  What do I have?  None of the above.  Especially after I lost some weight, my stomach is so soft and fluffy, far from firm like the other girls.”

“Yeah but he’s not with the other girls anymore, is he?”

“No, he’s not, you’re right.  I know it’s all me, and that it’s in my head, but that doesn’t make it any easier.  I even went out the other night after work with a friend, and bought a new bathing suit for Saturday. She helped me pick one that displayed my assets well, and it has a tummy control panel to make me feel a little better.”

“Stop it! You’re gorgeous all over, inside and out. And he knows it.  Don’t pin your issues on him, just make sure that you do pin him!”

“We’ll see.  Now, speaking of seeing, what’s in the box, bitch?”

You started pulling out the items one by one, giggly and nervous at the same time.  There was a blindfold, some fuzzy handcuffs, a long peacock feather, all types of condoms from ribbed, to flavored, to glow in the dark.  She had even managed to find Captain America ones. A few bottles of massage lotions and lube. Honey dust. A jar of chocolate body paint. There was a sexy camisole and shorts set. Wrapped in a velvet cloth at the bottom of the box was the present that sent you over the edge.  Somehow Dani had managed to find you a thin Captain America dildo, a rather large and thick Thor vibrator, and a butt plug with a shield on the end. 

When you had composed yourself again you asked, “Where the fuck did you even find those?”

“The internet is a fun and fantastic place.  Especially for a smut writer.  I expect reviews of those by the way.”

“Speaking of the internet, my background report came in from Jade.  You made the news with me a few times in college,” you teased.

“Oh shit!  What did it say?”

“Nothing too shocking, thank God! I’m glad I didn’t do anything that would haunt me forever.  Those regret scales have saved my ass sooo many times.”

You proceeded to read Dani some highlights of the report that Jade had emailed you.  “We were tagged in numerous photos from college, but it’s tame. Midnight breakfasts during finals, going to basketball games, a bunch from the dorms where we’re goofing off.  My favorite is when we used our office chairs to have races up and down the hallway!  Oh, and our Dance Dance Revolution Competitions were tagged!”  

“Oh my God!  I almost forgot about those.”

“There was stuff from when I was in high school. Photos from time on the debate team and playing violin in orchestra, the worst part of the photos were my haircuts! Jade found almost every post I ever publicly commented on using Facebook, but she said there wasn’t anything bad, it was always me saying the picture was cute, or other sentiments like that.  I did ‘like’ a shit load of photos from people, and some of famous people, but again, nothing bad.  She was able to find my Instagram profile, but I have it on private, so she couldn’t see anything.

“What other sites did she find?” 

“My pinterest account was the motherlode, she said she found it easily and could see everything I’d pinned, including things about Chris.  The same goes with my Twitter account, she was able to see everything. Tumblr never showed up at all, thank god!”

“Thank God is right.  I should have her check me out, make sure no one finds my page on there.” 

“She managed to go a few steps further and started taking my name, phone numbers, and address off of some sites. She was concerned that if Chris and I ever go public down the line people could start looking for me and trying to contact me.  I was on the phone with her, changing privacy settings on so many websites, it was crazy!  Right now, everything is largely secured.”

“Again, remind me to hit her up for my stuff.  I’ve had my people check it out from time to time, but I’d rather have someone I don’t employ take a look.”

“Oh, and guess what?  She actually enlisted the help of the Giant!  Asked him to try searching for me, and he did find me on some of the sites, but hit a dead end because we changed the settings. It’s scary how much information was out there.  I liked my apartment associations page and she was able to find out where I lived pretty quickly from that bit of information.”

You continued going through some other things that were found, then reminiscing on your college days and those DDR competitions.  There had to be video somewhere you could find.    

“So, how many more days?” she asked, knowing already but wanting to make you say it out loud so you could see just how close it was. 

“2 days, 11 hours.  But who’s counting?”

You decided to keep the box a secret from Chris, still unsure of what would be happening that weekend.  He had to call late, so you were already in a camisole and sleep shorts when you got on Skype. During the call you spotted Dodger heading towards the camera, and realized you hadn’t asked what the plans were for him during Chris’ trip.

Rubbing the dog’s side and getting licks he answered, “Oh, don’t worry about this fuzzy guy.  He’ll be staying here, in good hands.” 

“Who’s watching him for you?”

A few seconds later you got a photo from Chris on your phone.  It was a shot of him, Dodger, and Tom Holland.

“Holy shit! It that Spidey?”

“The one and only.  The kid’s great, just a real good person y’know?  He and Dodger have become close buddies.  When he heard I was going away for a few days he offered to watch him.”

“Aww, that’s so cute!  He seems like a sweetheart. Can’t wait to see his movie.  I adored his scenes in Civil War.”

You moved your tablet to the nightstand, propping it up against the lamp.  You decided to paint your toenails as you talked, not wanting to forget to do it with only a couple of days left before Chris came over.

You were almost finished when you realized he had stopped talking for the last several minutes.  You looked up to see if he was still there, thinking maybe he had walked away, and instead found him staring at you, his eyes drinking you in.  

“What’s that look all about?” You asked, squinting your eyes at him playfully.

“I just realized I love it when you paint your toenails.”

“And why is that, weirdo?” Got some kind of foot fetish I don't know about?” You smirked at him as you painted your pinky toe.

“Because when you lean over your tits get pressed against your legs and I get the most amazing view of your cleavage.  Just want to shove my face in there.”

That comment stopped you dead in your tracks.  You looked at him, almost able to feel his face on you.  You capped your polish bottle, sat up on the bed, and leaned forward slowly to place the bottle on the nightstand.  You made sure to angle yourself so the screen got a full on view, and proceeded to run your hands along the sides of your breasts and pushed the mounds together for a few moments before releasing them. 

“Wonder what else you could shove your face in.”  You straightened slowly, picking up the tablet and bringing it into bed with you.  When you looked at him again he was still focusing on you, taking you all in.  His voice was husky as he said, “I could think of several places.”

With your lips closed you smirked to one side, eyes brightening as you said, “So can I.”

He stood up, turning from the sofa he was sitting on, to walk towards the kitchen for a beer.  

You chuckled, when he turned to see what you found amusing you pointed and said, “Apparently, several of your places have ideas.”   A little embarrassed, he attempted to adjust himself before giving up and excusing himself for a couple of minutes. When he returned, the conversation cooled down, but your mind had not.  Fuck, you were in trouble this weekend!  

 


	18. Crash Into Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris arrives in New York and they find they both have some confessions to make

On Thursday night you did a thorough cleaning of your apartment, trying to see it through fresh eyes.  You knew it was just Chris coming over, but a tiny part of you also remembered that it was “Chris Evans” coming over.  You moved frames and items around several times, made sure your laundry was done and put away.  You moved Dani’s box of fun to the floor next to your highboy, setting it out of the way for now until you could figure out where to stash it.

Friday night Chris was working until 9 pm, and then had packing to do.  You’d be spending the whole weekend together so the conversation was just by phone that night.  Keeping him on speaker, you talked as you cooked and baked for Maddie’s birthday party. You were in charge of her cake and side dishes. Everything needed to get done tonight so you could just focus on Chris tomorrow morning.  

The morning of the 17th finally arrived after what felt like an eternity.  You got to the airport at 6:30 am to meet his 7:30 flight, having left extra early just in case traffic or some freakish Act of God decided to get in your way.  Bouncing on your feet, you were a bundle of nerves as you waited.  You’d let your hair air dry, allowing your waves to become curls.  Just a slight touch of makeup since you’d be going in the pool later.  You wore a white spaghetti strap sundress with soft blue flowers, and flip flops.  Sunglasses held your hair back better than any headband ever could.  It was a bit chilly in the airport and you were grateful you remembered to grab your fuzzy gray sweater to wrap around yourself.  

All chill left you once you spotted Chris coming towards baggage claim.  Your heart began to pound, and your hands started to tremble. He was so unbelievably handsome, his body looked even bigger and more toned than the last time you saw him.  He was dressed casually in black trackpants and a black v-neck tshirt, his favorite NASA baseball cap on his head.  His sunglasses were on, but you could still see when he spotted you just seconds later and he sent a smile your way.  He started walking towards you before catching the subtle shake of your head, reminding him that you were in public and couldn’t be seen together.  

He gave a quick nod in response and proceeded with the crowd towards the bags that were starting to spin on the carousel.  

Chris met you near the revolving door and you walked ahead of him, leading the way but not acknowledging him.  Following you with a bit of distance, you both made your way to short term parking.  A quick glance around seemed to confirm for both of you that no one had seen the superstar in their midst at this hour.  

After stowing his luggage in the trunk, you finally were alone in your car, and free from public view. Your lips crashed into each other, his hand holding your head as you unleashed almost a month’s worth of passion all at once. In the beginning the kissing was broken several times as you whispered endearments to each other. All words ended however when the kiss deepened, tongues tangling and tasting each other, remembering your rhythm.  

The need to breathe finally outweighed the desire to kiss. His mouth moved down to your neck. “Shit, Nic. You really do smell and taste as good as I remember. I was starting to think that my imagination was messing with my memories.” His nips and kisses soon grew to sucks and licks. If you both weren’t careful, you were going to show up to a kids birthday party with hickies on your neck. He seemed to realize this around the same time you did, and he buried his face in your neck. “I give up, what scent is this today? It’s sexy as hell.” 

Running your fingers through his hair, you let out a resigned sigh, not wanting to stop but knowing the parking lot just wasn’t a safe place for this. 

You smiled so wide your face hurt as you said just above a whisper, “It’s Jasmine Vanilla.”  You put your fingertips on his chin, drawing his face up to yours. “I missed you so much,”  you said, while your foreheads pressed together. You gave him a quick eskimo kiss, earning a quiet laugh from him.  The yearning to be with him, and to feel his touch again, was something you hadn’t realized how much you craved until just now. 

You looked at this man, still not quite believing he was yours. You lovingly traced the lines of his smooth face with your fingertips, sending up a silent prayer that one day you would get the chance to touch it bearded. You tapped quickly on his left cheek freckle you had a slight fixation with, before pecking a kiss there. 

Composed and content for now, you settled yourselves into the seats, buckled up, and began heading out of the parking garage. Chris kept looking your way, a smile playing across his face and up into his eyes. 

“You know, I’m not kidding about your scents. I hope you have bail money for when they arrest me.”  

“Arrest you? For what?”  Unsure where he was heading with this the question came out with a slightly concerned laugh as you focused on the maze of the airport ahead. You hated driving around here with a passion, but you’d do anything for Chris. 

“For indecent exposure. I’ll never be able to pass a Bath and Body Works again without getting an erection!” He was gesturing all over the place, waving his hands as he talked, pretending to plead his case. “Off-isa, please, you gotta believe me. Just smell her, you’d understand if you could just smell her!” 

“For fucks sake, how am I supposed to get us out of here if I can't see the road?” You smacked him on the arm. You were laughing so hard you could barely keep your eyes open.

Making it safely onto the Cross Island Parkway heading to Long Island, you were officially on your way home to begin the weekend you’d been dreaming about for weeks.  “By the way, I don’t need to worry about bail money.” 

“And why is that?  Don’t think I’m paying for it myself, it’s your mess.  You started this.”

“You sent me a magical key remember!  I’ll just go in that jail cell and bust you out with this.”  You jiggled the skeleton key hanging from your ignition. It made you so happy to see it hanging beside your Captain America shield.  

The laugh you heard from Chris at your little joke was nervous, almost fake.  You knew his laughter, and this sounded forced. It made you very uneasy. You stole a glance at him as you drove and saw him looking out the window, his face unreadable.  

“Penny for your thoughts?” you asked, remembering when you had first said this to each other back in Boston.  

He turned towards you without a hint of humor showing on his face, a rarity for him.  It scared the shit out of you.  You involuntarily tightened your hands on the wheel, swallowing hard as you saw him open and close his mouth a few times, trying to figure out how to deliver his next words to you.  

"Nicole, I...shit, I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just gonna throw it out here.  My people ran a background check on you when your name was pulled as the contest winner.”

“Okay.  And?”  You mind started racing. There had to be more to it than this, right?

“And, they said it was to make sure there were no surprises or scandals that could impact the charity or me.  Imagine if you had a criminal record that involved children, or, or had restraining orders against a celebrity, or some shit.  They figured the majority of the people entering the contest would be doing so for the chance to meet me.”

“That’s completely understandable.  I mean, it would’ve been nice if they had asked my permission but, I get why they did it.  I don’t think I told you, but Jade got back to me about the background check she did when she got concerned over people finding out about us.”  You paused to look over at him, shrugging your shoulders. “Maybe I’m not too upset by this news since I know there wasn’t anything too scandalous your people would’ve found out.”

He nodded, face still deep in thought, fingers drumming against his thighs anxiously. “So, alright, here’s the thing.  My assistant brought me a copy of the report back in February and I saw your photo...and, ah, I started reading your file.”

Jesus Christ! This was like pulling teeth! What the fuck was making him so nervous right now?  You’d never seen him like this.  Changing tactics, you decided to add some levity, because the tension in the car was getting unbearable.

“You started reading my file and what?  You became my stalker or something?”  You started to laugh at your joke before realizing he was once again not joining you.  In fact, he was now looking at you with eyes wide and steady. 

“Would you hate me if the answer to that was yes?  Sebastian knew and said it was stalking, but I thought of it more as research. I wanted to know more about you, and every time I’d learn something new, it was like I pulled a thread on a sweater. I kept unraveling more and more of this amazing woman I was going to meet in May.”

You knew you should feel creeped out at this, after all, it’s probably what he expected. But instead, you were in disbelief that you could have had such an affect on him, especially considering how boring most of the stuff in that file was.  

“What did you find so interesting?  I haven’t exactly lead the kind of life people make movies about.”

He was relaxing, shifting in his seat a bit to turn towards you, hands on the move again.  “It was, everything.  The joy you seem to get out of life, out of being with your family and friends.  There were no duck faced selfies, no fake smiles.  You post things that mean something to you. Go places because they make you happy.  Your Pinterest boards are fucking awesome, by the way.”

You interjected here, “You looked at my Pinterest?”  Mentally, you gave yourself a quick pat on the back for having made your Tumblr inspiration pins a secret board. 

“Yeah, I love how you have it organized.  The pins for recipes and places to visit, things you love.  Like that skeleton key.  It didn’t occur to me why I picked it out as a gift, not until you asked me how I knew you liked them.  I thought I was caught during that call.”

“Holy shit! I thought there was something odd about the way you acted when I told you how I loved the key.  You sneaky bastard!!”  you said, pointing at him with a shocked expression but still smiling. “So you’ve seen my pins and Facebook stuff?  You knew I was a bigger fan of yours than I let on when we met.  That didn’t bother you at all?”

Chris nodded a bit, “It was a little bit of a concern.  I could tell you were nervous as hell when we met, a bit star struck.  But you seemed to get over it quickly, and you treated me like everyone else there.  And you continued to treat me like a regular guy.  That meant the world to me.”

You smiled to yourself, remembering the butterflies you had that day meeting Chris for the first time.  “You were so flirty during the game, I thought for sure I was going to have a heart attack.”

He turned to look at you, a sweet smile on his lips.  “I wasn’t expecting the chemistry between us, it was just instant for me.  I had so much fun torturing you that day.”

“I felt it too, I just wouldn’t let myself believe it.  And you did torture me well, ya bastid.”

He made the most adorable expression, throwing his hands up and shrugging, knowing he was guilty as charged.

“Wait a minute, ok? Listen, I’m truly not upset that you ‘researched’ me.  I know what you saw and I’m cool with it.  What I’d like to know is why you didn’t tell me before.  Why wait until now?  We’ve been talking almost every day for a month, don’t you think this should’ve come up already?”

He slumped back in the seat, waving his hand between you.  “I wanted to tell you in person. So I could see your face, feel if your vibe towards me changed when you found out.  I was so fachking excited when we finally met at the Omaze thing.  You weren’t the girl I’d hoped to meet, you were so much more, Nicole.  Your family just sealed the deal.   I had the best time that weekend with you guys.”

Shades of red you didn’t know existed were coming across your face.  Was this some dream or was this actually happening right now?  “Why didn’t you say anything on my birthday?  We were alone that night, you had every opportunity to do it then.”

“Because I’m a chicken shit. I couldn’t risk you freaking out, or ruining your birthday.  You’re such an amazing woman.  To you, this may have seemed like it came out of nowhere that weekend, but for me, I’ve been nuts about you for months.”

Floating. Now you were floating.  But then a realization hit that brought you back to earth.  “Hold up dude, are you still watching me online?”

Crickets! Mother fucking crickets!  You looked his way and his face was down, hands picking at imaginary lint on his sweatpants. “Is that why you got so pissy with me the night I went out with my friends?”

That got his attention. His head whipped up and he squinted at you, “Pissy?  Did you just call me pissy?”

“Yes. Pissy. You saw me tagged in the photo with those guys, didn’t you?!  That’s why you got all berserko on me that night?  Dammit Chris, I wish you would just have told me before now.  There have been so many times when I was confused by the way you were acting.  A lot of puzzle pieces are clicking together now.”

He looked down again, shrugging his shoulders as he said a soft, “Sorry, babe.”

You put your hand on his and got his attention.  Taking your eyes off the road for a moment, you made eye contact and told him it was okay. Finally the smile you loved began creeping back into his face. 

“So what other sites did you stalk me on, hmm?  I know you checked out Facebook and Pinterest already.” He listed a bunch more, but the one you were cringing about never came up.  You chewed your lip, wondering what to do about it. 

“In the interest of full disclosure, no more secrets between us, there’s one site you didn’t mention that I’m on a lot.  Did you come across Tumblr at all?

“Tumblr?  No.  How did that not come up?”

“Because it’s anonymous.  I don’t use my name on it anywhere, and have a completely separate email associated with it.  It didn’t come up on Jade’s check either, but I didn’t know if your people had different access.”

“I’ve heard of it, but I don’t really know what the site is. I know I was the top blogged about actor a couple of years ago. What do you do on there?” he asked, watching you since he could tell you were now the one a bit tense.

“It’s a site for creative expression and, um, fantasies.  All sorts of fandoms, some celebrities are on there too.  In fact, I follow Ruffalo.”

“When you say fantasies you mean...”  He was enjoying the way you squirmed, you could see it on his face.  

“I mean, fanfiction where people write stories using a character or a celebrity.  And photos, gifs, meme’s, all sorts of fun stuff.  It’s a safe, anonymous place for a girl who’s been celibate for years to express all the dirty little desires she’s been building up.”  You raised an eyebrow at him, laughing at yourself for the way you managed to both explain what you like about the site, and tease him at the same time.  He shifted in his seat, your words sinking in. 

“And, may I ask, just what celebrities or characters are your expressing your desires for?” Chris was trying to look serious but it was failing him, his eyes alight with mischief.

“Mainly Marvel stuff.  This guy that plays Captain America, Sebastian Stan, Chris...”  You got no further before he cut you off yelling, “Stan?  You write fantasies about fahcking Stan!?”

“Hey, hey hey, you leave poor little Sebby alone! And I’m not writing fantasies about anyone.  I just read fanfic, I don’t write it.  The most I do is post a picture with a small caption or idea that it brings up.  I’ll make these sets of gifs, shit like that.  It’s really just for fun. I’ve become friends with people all over the world through it.  It’s pretty cool.”

“But they don’t who you are right?  Like, if we go public these people aren’t going to be able to point a finger at you as the person who posted these things?”

“Not at all,  I don’t use my name anywhere and I would never, ever, put anything up there that has to do with us in real life.  I absolutely swear to you I will not put us on that forum or any other.”

“Can I see it?  You must have the app for it.”

Pushing his hand back as he was reaching for the console, “Touch my phone and I’ll break your fucking finger.  It’s not safe for you to dive into it without me guiding you.  Especially with your anxiety issues.  There are things on there you’d never be able to unsee.  I’m doing this for your own good.” He tried again, earning a swat to the hand while reaching for your phone in its holder, “Back away from the phone, Evans!”  

“Jesus woman, what are you so scared of me seeing?  I’m gonna see this today, just so you know!”

You were getting close to your apartment and your stomach was growling.  Changing the subject you asked, “Are you hungry?  Cause I’m starving and there’s a good bagel shop right around the corner. We’re only a few minutes away from my place.  I can run in and grab us breakfast, okay?”

He agreed, giving you his breakfast order.  He wasn’t supposed to have carbs and you had to pinky swear you wouldn’t tell his trainer about anything he’d be consuming this weekend. Chris stayed in the car, head down, sunglasses on and you walked from the far corner of the lot to get some breakfast and coffee to go.  You made sure to take your phone with you. The shop wasn’t too busy, and you were in and out relatively quick.  As you headed back towards the car, you deliberately sashayed your hips, which got Chris’ attention. He sat up a little straighter and moved around in his seat a bit. You laughed and decided you were glad to see he was suffering.  After handing him the bags, you began the short drive to the apartment.

When you arrived, you suddenly realized it wasn’t a glamorous building, and for a moment you worried he might not like your place. You headed up to your 2nd floor corner apartment and he  put his bag down as you set the coffee and food on the kitchen island. A moment later, he was holding you from behind, keeping his hands clasped loosely in front of you, and you gave a little tour of the place, all while he was planting kisses on your neck.  

Hunger for food was winning over hunger for desire, and you both began devouring the bagels when you made your way back to the kitchen. With his mouth full of food, he proceeded to make gestures and from what you could decipher, he was complimenting your decorating choices. While at the table you also  finally caved in to his annoying attempts to see your Tumblr account.  

“Fine, alright! Geez, you’re such a baby!  Let me pull it up and look first, see if it’s safe.”  You ate with one hand while you used your thumb to scroll with your other.  You almost choked when you saw the thread that got reblogged again.  Chris grabbed the phone and nearly spit out his food. 

“What. Da Fahck. Is That!!  How did you guys even get these photos?”  

“Give me that!” snatching the phone from his grasp.  “The internet never forgets, Evans.  And you should have fired that manager long before they let you pose for this ‘Truck Stop Hooker’ photo shoot.” 

“You have gaht to be kidding me! That’s what you guys named the photo session?  I’m so fahcking embarrassed, those shots are horrible.”

“Horrible is a strong word.  They don’t represent you at all, but your body was smokin’ hot in them.”  You tortured him further by pressing a finger to his bicep and making a sizzling sound. He hung his head and fake cried. 

“We have names for lots of these awkward photo shoots and phases you went through.  Let’s see, there’s the ‘I’m in a boy band’ session in baggy white clothing.  Your Puma Period.  The Red Belt of Sex.”

“The red belt of what?”  his head snapped back the screen quickly, looking over a thread that you’d made which showed multiple photos and gifs of him wearing the item in question.  He read the caption you added about how amazing it must feel to be tied up by it.  He licked his lips, thinking a moment before saying, “I suddenly feel like belt shopping.  Any good places around here we can hit?”

One look at his sexy face and you were done.  You dropped your face onto your arms on the table and waved your hand above your head, mumbling to yourself about walking into that one.  He was laughing hysterically, pulling the curtain of your hair up to see your face, but you shifted your cheek to turn away from him.  So he stood up and pulled the hair on that side, and kept following you as you turned from side to side, playing the little game until you finally lifted your head.  You really were a pair of dorks.  “Alright, so I get the whole photo and gif set shit.”  He was scrolling through your blog now, “By the way, you have waaayyy too much Sebastian on there for my liking.”

“It’s not necessarily for me, Dani’s on there.  I post a lot of his stuff for her.  But I have to admit I adore him.  He’s just so darn cute!”  Chris put his hands on his hips, giving you a stern look. “He is!  But Chris Evans, he’s just walking sex on a stick.”  Good, now he was the one getting red faced. 

He conceded, “Fine, just no fantasies about him, please.  At least don’t tell me about them.  What was that fanfiction stuff you were talking about?”

“That gets a bit trickier.  I read a lot of different ones.  It’s funny, now that I’ve gotten to know you as a person I can see little aspects of you in a lot of the stories.”  You picked up your phone going to the website that hosted one of your favorites. “There’s one that I’ve been hooked on since last year, she’s still writing it.  It’s about a hair stylist you meet on set and start a relationship with. Knowing the real you now, I think I’ve loved it because it comes so close to who you really are. She just totally nailed you, really captured your essence. Here, check this out.  You can scroll through it, it's a safe one.”

He read through the first chapter and laughed at the same places you had, smiling as he went along at the antics of himself and Sebastian with the reader.  “You know, I really am a Flip Cup Hero.  Scott and I even beat Fallon.”

“I know dear, we all saw it.  Internet remember. Those faces you made at Scott by the way, fucking priceless!” You took the phone back, reading a few lines quickly and smiling, before tapping the screen, “I’ve almost pissed myself from laughing while reading this story. She has the girl working for Grillo and he's such a funny bastard. Seb and Mackie are a pair of mischief makers. I don't know Scott, but the version of him here is hilarious. But this is a nice, realistic  story. I like to read Evans smut, too.”

“Really, and where might a find a sample of that?”  You gave him a wicked grin and opened a few chapters by other bloggers you loved.  His reactions were priceless, moving from shocked to intrigued, then back again.  “I’m married to all these different girls, have kids with some of them.  Kinky as fuck in others.  I swear I don't know how i’ll ever be able to look at Hiddleston again without blushing. How do you keep all these stories straight?”  he sat back, shaking his head, taking it all in.  “I heard about fanfic, but seeing it about yourself is just surreal. No wonder my mom always told me to not search for myself online.”

“She’s absolutely right.  These fics, they’re kinda like little plays.  There’s a different version of you in each, so I don’t get confused.  And now I have the real thing and don’t have to fantasize through them anymore.”  Being close to him while looking at those photos, reading through the smut, had gotten you worked up.  The real Chris was here in the flesh and you couldn’t spend another second without touching him. 

You got up from your chair and stepped over to him, motioning for him to push back.  You straddled his lap, wrapping an arm around him while running your right hand through his hair.  You had your face just inches from his, locking eyes, feeling desire building up in your body.  “Now I can finally kiss you the way I’ve been wanting to since I first laid eyes on you this morning.”  You tugged his hair, pulling his head to the side and planted a sucking kiss at the bottom of the right side of his neck, moving your way up this throat, feeling him swallow thickly beneath your tongue. Instinct took over and your hips were slowly rocking against his growing  erection. You made your way back to his mouth, licking across those lips like sugar. 

He gripped you by the ass and stood up, pulling your legs to wrap around his waist.  He stood there, holding you for a moment, pupils dilated with desire as he growled,  “If we’re gonna do this, let’s do this right,” before carrying you the short distance to the sofa. 

Chris laid you down, taking a moment to slowly rake his eyes over your body, those ridiculously long lashes marking his progress. He paused when he reached your face, drinking you in. His gaze fixed on yours, making your body heat up from the intensity of it. He inhaled slowly, breathing in the sensual scent you had purposely chosen for today, holding the breath a moment before leaning down, and suckling at your neck. He licked and sucked a trail just like you had done, before cupping your face in his hand and saying in the sexiest voice, “I’ve been looking forward to this for so fucking long.”  

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration that set the mood for this chapter and 17 was Dave Matthews Band - Crash into Me
> 
> Fanfic mentioned specifically is "A Touch Up" (flip cup hero part) which was my introduction to Evans fanfic and one of the reasons I was inspired to try writing it myself. It's written by the very talented AO3 member EonAO3 (@whostheblondegirlwriting on Tumblr). The other was my other introduction to an Evans long fic which I loved called "Part of Your World" by EmilyEvanston which can be found on Wattpad and Tumblr under that name. They both graciously granted permission to mention the fics and I love that I was able to pay tribute to them here. If you haven't already checked them out then run, don't walk, because they are amazing writers with lots of treasures to read.


	19. What Are You Waiting For?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole ignite a fuse, have a few surprises, and make their way to her niece's birthday party

There was a slight tremor to the hand that cradled your cheek.  You were looking up into Chris’ face and saw it full of desire that it set you on fire. His eyes slowly scanned your face and body, drinking you in, his long eyelashes marking his path. Your breathing became shallow and your body came alive with anticipation, pulsing as you watched him.  When he returned to your eyes, the hunger you saw in them was almost palpable and matching what he must be seeing in your own.   

Tracing the muscles of his torso and shoulders with your left hand, you allowed your other to glide up into his hair before running it down against the side of his face. Letting your thumb gently stroke his cheek, you watched as Chris lowered his eyelids for a moment before nuzzling his face into your palm. 

When he opened them again it was to see your eyes pleading as you asked in a voice that was low and slightly trembling,  “Please, touch me,” before pulling his face towards yours for a slow kiss, sucking at his plump lower lip. His tongue reached out and you opened your mouth, granting him entry and allowing him to take contro. He immediately pushed you back on the long sofa and laid down along the length of your body, resting halfway on you. The kiss was devouring and you felt the heat everywhere he touched as his hand glided down your body, caressing your curves all the way down to your thigh and back up again until his hand reached the v-neck of your dress and pushed inside it. 

While continuing to kiss you, Chris used his thumb to circle your nipple through your bra, before finally cupping your breast completely in his hand. His lips moved from your mouth to your jaw and neck, gently nipping and sucking at your pulse points. He whispered in your ear, in a voice that was almost a fucking growl, “I love how you fit into my hand, you feel so good,” as he began to knead it.

You had turned your head away from him, giving him access to your neck. “Mmmm that feels so good,” you moaned. 

“You like that?” he said, stroking over you once again. Turning, you looked him in the eyes, your right hand was wrapped around him, squeezing at the muscles in his shoulders. Legs tangled together, your hips undulating trying to get friction from his thigh. 

In a breathy low voice you demanded, “I want more.”

“As you wish,” was his answer, a smile dancing across those beautiful lips as he watched your expression. Those words quickly brought back the memory of the first time he said that to you in Boston.  He had followed it up with a line about perfect breasts.  Who would’ve thought a month later he’d be touching yours and driving you wild? All thoughts left you a moment later as he licked his way down into your cleavage, pushing your dress to the side and sucking your tit through your bra.  His shirt was bunched in your hand as you gripped at his back, dragging your nails over his skin. 

While he worked his way down you had closed your eyes, focusing on the sensations. Now you opened them to look down at Chris. He was waiting for you, his eyebrows raising in a silent question, asking for permission before going further. Biting your lip, you gave him a shy smile and nodded your head.  That was all he needed. He peeled the cup from your breast like he was unwrapping a gift, and used his tongue to swipe slowly over your erect nipple. Your head instantly fell onto the pillow, back arching to push your chest further into him.  Chris wasted no time, the second your back arched, he moved his left arm underneath it to hold you firmly to him as he continued to lick and suck his way around your nipple. 

He paused, watching you as he licked his finger before rubbing it lightly over your rosy peak. “You have got the most perfect tits.” The motion of his fingers was creating shockwaves that raced through your body, electricity flowing through you, making your body hum.  All you could do was was run your hands through his hair and hold on during his onslaught. 

He flicked his tongue quickly over the tip, making you moan in ecstasy.  Chris seemed to enjoy watching you squirm, smiling wickedly as he did it again.  Moving his tongue faster now with a little more pressure, he twirled it around your nipple before sucking it into his mouth. As he pulled off he lightly grazed you with his teeth.  

“I love how you jump when I do this,” running his tongue quickly over you once again, making your body twitch, “And this,” dragging his tongue up the the sensitive underside, causing you to grip the cushion beside you. His eyes were sultry as he watched your expressions, continuing the delicious torture. 

“Holy fuck! That feels good!” you yelled as your eyes rolled to the back of your head.  It has been so long since you’d been touched like this that you found yourself almost hypersensitive to it all.

“Gahd, you’re so responsive, it's so fahckin’ hot!” He switched breasts and this time filled his mouth with as much of your mound as he could, hollowing his cheeks to create suction, releasing most of it as he tugged at your peak gently with his teeth only to sink back down, twirling his tongue to increase the sensation. You nearly screamed from the sheer bliss overwhelming you.  Gripping his head to keep him in place, your hips were thrusting against his legs, thighs grinding together to create friction to help ease the deep pulsing coming from your core. You could feel his erection against you and wanted to touch him so badly, but there was no way you could stop him at the moment, it felt too good.

He was slowly moving his right hand down your stomach to your underwear.  Even though he hadn’t touched you there just yet, your body was ready for him. Your belly quivered under his touch, his fingers so close, yet still so far from where you desperately needed him.  Teasing you, he slowly stroked the top of your thigh, skimming his fingers along the inside of it before running them up along the elastic of your panties.  

You had been watching him, mesmerized by this beautiful man and the ways he was bringing pleasure to your body. His gaze returned to you as he reached the top of your panties, respecting you enough to not go further until he had your permission.  You took your hand off his shoulder and brought it down to cover his, pushing them both down over your satin panties.  They were already sopping wet from the desire this man was bringing out of you. 

  
“Chris!” you gasped, your hand moving to grip the cushion again as he began working over your clit with his thumb over the fabric, the rest of his fingers pressing against your aching mound.  You hadn't been touched by someone else there in so long and it was overwhelming, you could barely think straight. “You’re so wet for me already, baby. Your panties are so fahcking soaked,”

Your hands tangled in his hair, you were gasping, body going rigid from his ministrations. His hand finally made its way into your panties, sliding his fingers up and down and spreading you gently. You were drenched from desire, your pussy was throbbing as he slid his middle finger down.  It entered you with almost no resistance. “Fuck, baby!”  He moved the finger in and out, curling it up when it was inside. 

He looked up at you, asking softly “Is this okay Nicole? Do you want me to stop?” 

Shaking your head you looked at him with your eyes full of lust. “Don't you dare fucking stop! God that feels incredible!”  He immediately withdrew his finger and added a second, sliding back in slowly, stretching you. “OhGodohgod!” Your arms tightened around his chest, your fingers were digging into his shoulder blades but he didn’t seem to care.  You clamped your legs tight, gripping him as you rode his hand, keeping him locked deep within you. You saw him smile as he watched your face, satisfied with the reaction he was getting.  You pussy was clenching around him, preparing itself for the orgasm Chris was about to unleash from you. 

“That’s it baby, let yourself go.  Feel it.  You look so fahckin’ sexy right now.” He began moving his fingers in and out, increasing his pace steadily, plunging them in and giving a little extra pulse when they were deep inside you, causing you to make a strangled scream. Your throat was beginning to feel raw from holding back. 

Chris gently bit your nipple and then curled his middle finger, finding your g-spot and stroking it. It sent you over the edge. “Fuck! Chris, I’m about to c...” you began saying before he claimed your mouth, swallowing the screams you could no longer stifle. He kissed you deeply, before pulling back to let you breathe your way through the orgasm. Your right hand was squeezing his back, pummelling him with small thumps as your pleasure crested, your left was gripping his hair and holding his head against yours.  The sheer ecstasy and intensity of this release after so many years alone had brought tears to your eyes. He helped ride you through it, slowing the thrusting of his fingers as he felt you finishing. You released the strangleholds you had on him, and felt him slowly withdraw from you.  He dragged his middle finger up along your clit making you jump with an aftershock. 

He brought his fingers to his mouth as you watched, closing his eyes and individually sucking each digit that was coated in your juices.  As he did this you felt his cock twitch, growing even harder against your thigh as he rocked himself against you instinctively.  

Knowing you were the cause of that got you fired up again. You rolled over, pushing him down on the couch, your left hand gripping his shaft through his pants.  “And just what are we going to do about this?” you asked, a sexy smirk coming across your face as you slid your hand up and down his length over the fabric. You had never felt sexier, and your inhibitions with him were now gone.  It was time for payback, and you intended to make sure he never forgot this day.

He dropped his head back onto the cushion for a moment before bringing it back up to look at you. “That’s not why I’m here, this is all about you.  Don't worry about me. I’ll take care of it, I’ll just...”

Continuing to stroke him, you interrupted him with kisses, sucking at those gorgeous lips to shush him.  You looked into his eyes, seeing them so full of passion. “No. Let me do this for you.”  You rolled over him, dropping off the couch and getting onto your knees on the rug.  You tugged at his legs to follow. Chris continued to protest, even as he let you undo the drawstring, and lifted his hips to allow you to slide his pants and underwear down.

“Nic, really, you don’t have to do this.” he said, still trying to give you an out while at the same time putting his hands through your hair as you spread his thighs apart, settling yourself in between them, immediately using your hand to begin stroking him. 

Locking eyes you said, “I want to,” before looking down as his swollen and throbbing cock. You had fantasized about him so many times, now here he was in the flesh.  And what impressive flesh it was. He was neatly trimmed, so large you were able to stack your hands one on top of the other as you worked them in different directions.

You began by rubbing your thumb over the bulbous head before sliding your hand down to fully engulf it. “How can something feel so rock hard, and yet so velvety soft at the same time?” You cupped his balls with your other hand, tugging them slightly, while bringing your face close to his shaft, breathing in his masculine scent.  With the tip of your tongue, you flicked the swollen head a few times, then gave long swipes around it all, lubricating him in your spit.  He was thick and his head stretched your mouth as you started sucking down just the tip to start with, before moving around to lick over the ridges and sensitive veins running through his shaft.  The sounds coming out of him told you how much he was enjoying this.  Looking up to make eye contact, you held his gaze for a moment before swallowing him almost down to the base.   

“Christ Nicole!” Was all he could say before dropping his head back onto the cushions as you continued to suck at him, getting him deep into the back of your throat.  You began hollowing your cheeks, creating suction as you reached the tip. It had been forever since you’d given a blow job, but it was something you’d always enjoyed. Knowing you could bring so much pleasure to a man, control him like this. It was a power trip for you. 

You remembered an old trick and decided to try it on him: you kept your mouth open, barely making contact with his thick dick until you had swallowed him to the hilt, then clasped your mouth around it and sucked hard, pulling up slowly until you reached the top again. 

“Fahck baby! Your mouth is amazing!”  he cried out.  

You stopped sucking and and began slowly stroking him by hand as you looked up at him with a sly smile, “I told you in Boston, my mouth is a lot more than smart.”  You swallowed him down a few times in rapid succession before adding, “By the way, I’m just getting started with you,” a devilish smirk on your lips before bringing your mouth back down.  Chris was groaning, the sounds were getting you hot again. You decided to experiment and began alternating sucking with licking, lightly scraping your teeth across certain parts, and testing what he responded to.  You stole glances up at him and every time he was watching you intently, his hands fisted in the fabric of the cushion.  

“Fahck! I love watching you! God damn, those tits from this angle!” he said, leaning forward to cup your breast in his hand, gripping the bottom of your hair with the other. Feeling his touch caused you to moan around his cock, the vibrations making him fall back against the cushions again.  You continued it, humming at the back of your throat.  You were enjoying this almost as much as he was.  You pulled him out of your mouth completely, then ran your tongue along the thick vein of his underside before sinking back down again.  

A little while later, you felt his body begin to shudder and he groaned out, “Nic, I’m getting close!”  You had to decide what to do at the end of this. Pop off or swallow him down?  You went with the latter, picking up your pace.  Taking his hand, you placed it on the back of your head.  You held it there with your own for a moment until he realized what you wanted.  Taking your hand away you used it to play with his balls again as Chris pushed your head harder and faster, taking from you what he needed to explode. And explode he did, hot jets hard into the back of your throat.  You tried to relax, afraid to gag and ruin this, and realized it was okay.  His taste wasn’t strong and you were able to swallow him whole.

Chris began to soften and you gave one last suck as you released him from your mouth with a popping sound.  He was watching you intently, shaking his head slightly from side to side.  “Are you for real, Nicole?  There’s no way you haven’t done this in years.”

You left out a soft laugh, “It’s true, I didn’t even do this to the blue-baller, so it’s been well over 3 years.” 

He pushed himself to the edge of the couch, bending forward to take your face in his hand and planting a kiss on your lips.  “You’re incredible.” Chris sunk back into the cushions, catching his breath.  Meanwhile you cleared your throat discreetly, swallowing a few times and swiped at your mouth to make sure there everything was clear. He pulled his underwear and pants back on, then extended his hand to you.  Bringing you to his side, cradling your head into his shoulder.  You sunk into him, tucking your legs under you. “Well, that was not how I expected to start our morning, but I’ll take it,” he said.

You chuckled softly, placing your hand against his stomach and nuzzling into him.  “Trust me, it wasn’t what I had planned either.”  You turned to look into his eyes, “And I can’t wait to do it again. I could totally get addicted to this.” 

He looked at you with a serious expression, “Was that okay, Nic?  For real, you’re okay with it?” He asked, wanting to make sure you weren't regretting any of it.  

You looked at him, head still fuzzy, “Are you kidding me? That was fucking amazing, Chris.  Was that okay for you?”

Chris wiggled his eyebrows at you.  “More than okay.  You little vixen!  I don’t buy this virgin act of yours anymore, not after what you just did.”

“What can I say Evans, you bring out the animal in me,” and gave him a playful growl.

He chuckled, his arm around you, bringing you closer against his side again to plant a kiss on your lips.

“So you weren’t kidding when you said your cave of wonders was shut down tight. For a minute there I thought I was gonna lose my hand! Couldn’t believe how hard you were squeezing around me.”

Embarrassed now, you tucked your head down into his side.  “Oh. My. God.  Chris, I am so sorry.”

“You’re kidding me? Sweetheart, that was not a complaint. It almost put me over the edge, all I kept thinking was how it would feel around something other than my fingers.”

You burrowed your face into his side, covering it with your hand and giggling nervously and a bit amused. And thank God you still had on wet panties, or you would’ve needed to change into another fresh pair.

He squeezed his arm around you tighter for a few seconds before releasing the grip and moving his hand up into your hair.  Leaning your head on his shoulder, you sat in a comfortable silence after that, basking a bit in the afterglow.  Chris’ hand started playing with your hair, sinking his fingers into the waves and massaging your scalp a bit.  You heard him chuckle softly as you made a contented sigh.  

Your mouth was quiet but your brain was anything but, thinking over all the events and information you got this morning.  The fact that he already had a sort of crush on you before you met just blew your mind.  This knowledge also answered so many questions: why he was so willing to spend a day with total strangers in Boston, how he knew some obscure flowers that you liked, some of the presents you’d received, little comments that came out of nowhere.  It had all created a level of comfort you had with each other almost from the moment you met.   

It hit you then that you’d also made up your mind.  Your drought ended this weekend.  Probably tonight.  You were comfortable with him, he was experienced and was already figuring out what made your body tick. And you cared for him very, very deeply.  

“You’re quiet.  What are you thinking about?”  he asked, kissing the top of your head, hand moving down to gently stroke your neck again.

“I was thinking that I’d forgotten how great this could feel, all of it. I was thinking about your fingers in me and how insanely good that was. It’s quite different when someone else is doing it for you.” 

“Ha!  Oh shit, now I’ll have that visual in my head all day,” he gave a mock sigh and rolled his head back against the couch.

You tittered, smiling against his shoulder. “I may have been missing out. Makes me wonder what I’ve been waiting for.”

Chris nudged you to sit up, keeping an arm around you, but wanting to see your face.  Those blue eyes looked at you softly as he asked, “What have you been waiting for Nicole?

  
Your own gray-blue eyes met his.  “You, apparently. But I think I’m done waiting.” 

A smile broke over his face then, crinkling his eyes.  His expression matched your own.  You kissed on the lips, not with passion but with tenderness and understanding.  He knew exactly what that meant for your evening.  Now the hard part would be waiting to get back here. 

You caught sight of the time on your cable box.  “I hate to say this, but we need to get going if we don't want to be late. To be continued?” you asked as you planted another kiss on him, beginning to get up from the couch.

He pulled you back down, “Absolutely to be continued,” he murmured against your lips, hugging you to him.  You let your head rest on his shoulder, enjoying the moment and the feel of this man against you.  It still didn’t quite feel real that he was here.  You took a deep breath and released it with a sigh before getting up once again.  

“I’m going to hit the bathroom quick and brush my teeth. Maybe change my panties,” you added, raising your eyebrows at him.  Pointing to a lbeach bag in the corner you continued, “You can put your swimsuit and anything else you think you’ll need for later into that. I already have a towel packed for you in it, and sunscreen. Which I’ll be happy to put on you,” this got a laugh out of him, “I’ll be out in a few.”  You hurried down the hall to freshen up and make yourself presentable for your family.  

After a quick stop in your bedroom for some new underwear, you found yourself alone in the safety of your bathroom.  Shutting the door you leaned back against it, trying to wrap your head around what just happened.  You knew you were going to kiss him this morning, that much was a given.  You had thought maybe you’d let it get as far as heavy petting, but this?  This was unplanned, but you were so happy it happened.  If there was any doubt before about your connection it was no longer in question.  It was all just so fucking hot that your legs still felt like jelly, and he was spending the next two nights with you.  You looked at yourself in the mirror as you began brushing your teeth. The girl in the mirror was smiling, her eyes alight with mischief, her body still buzzing and content.  You spit, still in disbelief that you hadn’t earlier, and rinsed.  

Giving your neck and chest a once over you were relieved to find it all hickie free this time.  You fixed your hair, grabbing a couple of black hair ties for later and finished getting yourself ready to go.  

“Bathroom’s all yours”, you said to Chris, who was waiting in the hall. He gave you a quick peck and then went inside to clean himself up.  A few minutes later he called out, “I’ll be right there, going to your room to change.”  You were running through your list, making sure you had everything you needed for the day, putting foil trays of food on the counter.  

That was when you heard him bellow out a laugh, followed by, “Holy shit! Aw man, this is...” 

Your head popped up, neck craning to hear what came after, but you couldn't hear what came next because he had started laughing again and mumbling to himself.  What the hell was he doing in there?  Then you heard a whirring sound, and realized exactly what was going on.  

You flew down the hall as fast as your legs could carry you.  Bracing your hands in the open doorway, you took in the sight before you.  Chris was kneeling on the floor beside your bed, head on his folded arms, laughing hysterically.  The contents of the box Dani had mailed you were spread across your comforter.  

“Oh shit! SHIT!” you yelled entering the room, pissed at yourself for forgetting to hide the fucking thing.  

Chris lifted his head to look at you, wiping tears from his eyes.  He lifted the Captain America dildo and pointed it at you, “Oh, Lucy? You have some ‘splaining to do!”  He dropped it as another wave of laughter racked him. 

You brought your hands to your face, covering your nose and mouth with them as you looked around trying to assess the damage.  You decided defense may be your best offense in this situation.  “You snooped?  You’re a fucking snooping….SNOOP!” Placing your right hand on top of the dresser, you turned and rested your head against the wood.  You were so dumbfounded you couldn’t even come out with a proper insult right now.

“So, when were you going to tell me about your naughty treasure box of fun, Nicole?” 

Turning your head while still resting it on your hand you deadpanned, “It’s not mine.  I’m holding it for a friend.”

“Buuullllshiiiitt!” He countered, picking the dildo back up and twirling it in his hand like a goddamn baton. Shrugging playfully he justified himself,  “And I wasn’t snooping.  I came in here to change and I saw this big box with Cap logos on it.  I thought maybe it a present for me.”

“So you open it?  Alone? Without asking first?” you asked incredulously. 

“I wasn’t planning on it, but...it wasn’t sealed or anything, and it was heavy.  I put it on the bed and figured I’d take a teeny tiny peek,” he said, almost pinching his thumb and index fingers together while making an adorable squinty eyed face. 

“I shoulda put those giant snakes in there that jump out at people when they look where they don’t belong.”

“You know Nikki, this really is something you could have shared with your boyfriend. I would’ve been more than happy to assist in setting the mood or giving you instructions.” Chris added while looking over the items, lifting and inspecting them while giving glances your way. The sexy playful smile never left his lips. 

“Boyfriend you say? Do I have one of those?” He had told you that he was a one woman man and that right now that was you, but he had never come out and labeled things. 

Chris had been in the middle of dipping his pinky into the jar of honey dust, taking a quick taste when he heard your question. His head whipped up and he gave you a look that had a touch of surprise in it.

“Of course you do! Or at least that's what I thought I was to you. What did you think I meant when we talked that night you went to the bar?”

“I heard what you said, but you never officially called me your girlfriend or anything. I didn't want to assume. I could’ve just been the girl you were seeing right now. There's a difference between the two.”

“There's not a difference in my head. To be honest, I’ve kinda considered you my girlfriend since we had that talk on your way home from the Poconos. But, I think you may just be trying to distract me from the real issue at hand here.” His face became devious again. 

He stalked his way over to you, arms out, hand going from his heart to you before waving to the bed.  He was still holding the damn dildo. “Baby, please! You gotta tell me how you, a proclaimed virgin for 3 years, just happened to have a sin box of this enormity laying around in your bedroom.  There has to be a story here.”  He had reached you by then, pulling at your hips and twisting you from side to side with him.  His head was dipping to catch your eyes, his brows raising in amused curiosity. 

You waved your arms in defeat, sighing before putting your hands on his large biceps, squeezing them up and down for a moment before realizing you were doing it.

“It’s from my best friend Dani, y’know, the writer? She sent it last week as a joke...well more like a hint really. We had a lot of discussions in the Poconos.”

“Discussions? About what exactly?  Where to get yourself a Captain America dildo?”  He busted out laughing again, looking at it.  “I didn’t even know they made shit like this.”

“You and me both buddy,” smiling while suppressing a laugh looking at the toy in his hand.  

“I especially love the note I found attached. What did it say again? Oh, wait, let me grab it.”  He turned away from you, reaching the bed in 2 large steps.  “My dearest Ho.  For all the times you threatened to pop a CAP in my ass, here’s one for yours.  At least until you can try the real one.  Smoochie Boochies, D.”

You snatched the note from his hand, folding it carefully before placing it on your dresser.  You stood up straight, looking him dead in the eyes.  “Just so we’re clear, no cap of ANY sort, will be going into THIS ass.”  Chris took a step towards you, placing a hand around your waist to bring you closer to him.  He bent his head and gave you a sexy look. 

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it babe.”  

You set your jaw, smiling before giving him a small punch and pushing your way out of his hold.  “Yeah, you first.  Then we’ll talk.”  

Making your way to the bed, you surveyed the contents of the box.  After what happened not even 30 minutes ago, you felt yourself flush with excitement at the possibility of using them.  Chris brushed past you on the way to the other side of the bed, seemingly on a mission.  

“This thing though?  I don’t know what she was thinking, but this has got to go.”  He was holding the huge Thor vibratror.  

You couldn’t resist tormenting him just a little as you whined, “Oohh, but it’s my favorite, Chris! So big and thick. And look, it even has a clit stimulator and it rotates!!” you exclaimed, enjoying the view of his face becoming more and more disgusted with it. 

He dropped it on the bed, then pointing his index fingers at you one at time he said, “Fuck. You.”  

You backed up a step, rocking on your heel while flourishing your hands around and nodding, “That’s EXACTLY what it does!  Thank you for understanding baby.”  You had pushed this too far, you knew it the second you saw his face.  His lips were pursed, a deliciously devilish grin on his face that you knew meant trouble.  You watched him for a moment, frozen in place, then bolted for the door.  He was on you in a second, grasping you by the waist and lifting you off your feet with his strong arms.  

Chris didn’t know it, but as his trip had been coming closer, your insecurities about your body had also been growing.  You weren’t exactly a small woman, especially when compared to what he was surrounded with all the time.  You worried how he’d see you, and how your body must look to him.  But the way he looked at you from the moment he spotted you in the airport, to the way he admired your curves on the sofa, to him being able to pick you up with apparently very little effort, it all left you feeling a hell of a lot more comfortable in your skin now. 

He was holding you tight against him, one arm still wrapped around your waist, the other now across your chest so he could hold you by the chin.  He used that hand to tilt your head, allowing him to speak into your ear, just above a whisper.  “Let’s get one thing straight.  If anything of that size is fucking you, it’s going to be me.” He gave your earlobe a playful nip and you jumped at the sensation.

You felt his cock twitch against your ass. Without thought, you pushed yourself back against him and he automatically grinded into you, holding you even tighter.  You were both breathing quicker as he kissed your mouth. Fuck! He had such an affect on you that you’re head was spinning again.  You also knew you needed to bring some extra panties with you to the party if this was how it was going to be all day.  

Chris blew out a breath and put his head down onto your shoulder.  “Nicole,” he said softly, turning you around to face him, “Listen, I know we’ve talked about this before but, there’s no pressure here, okay?  I didn’t come here to sleep with you.”  You looked away from him for some reason, suddenly feeling a bit shy.  Taking your chin gently in his fingers, he brought you back to him, looking at you earnestly. “Hey, hey, look at me.  This morning was amazing, and I know what you said on the couch about not wanting to wait anymore.  What I’m trying to tell you is that I wasn’t expecting anything from you, I mean, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t hoped, but if you change your mind, I’ll be fine with that.  I just want to be here with you, no matter what form that takes, okay?”

You could only nod for a moment, your heartbeat quickened and you felt warmth spread through your body. He was just too perfect sometimes. “You really are one of a kind, Chris. You make it awfully hard for a girl to stay saintly,” you added with a smile as you kissed him once again. 

When you broke apart, you finally had a moment to acknowledge the outfit he had changed into.   He was now wearing basketball shorts, sneakers and a powder blue t-shirt with a familiar logo on it.  

“You’re wearing a Cap shirt to the party?  For real?”  Amused and surprised, you had a huge grin. He really was a handsome son of a bitch...and he was all yours.

“Yeah, well, I mean...I don’t normally go around wearing something like this.  But I thought Maddie would get a kick out of Captain America showing up at her party.  I also asked my assistant to get this for me,”  he ran over to his duffle bag and pulled out a Captain America toy shield.  “Figured it’ll help me make a good entrance.”

You walked over to where he stood, wrapping your arms around him for a tight hug.  The fact that he had put so much thought into making your niece happy meant the world to you.  Smiling, your blue eyes met his, “You are the most amazing boyfriend in the world, have I told you that yet?  Do you have any idea how excited she would be anyway, just by having you there?  But for you to show up as the Cap?  Good luck to Sarah when she tries to top this next year.” 

You left him to finish getting ready, warning him to clean the mess he made on the bed, while you went back to the kitchen to continue packing up all of the food. You were placing the last of the foil trays into a large reusable shopping bag when he tried opening the lid to sneak a peek.  “So what are we bringing to this shindig anyway?”  You swatted his hand away.  “Again, you’re a fucking SNOOP!  WE are bringing my famous homemade macaroni salad, and a potato and egg salad.  I also made Maddie’s cake,” you said pointing to cake carrier on the counter. “Ryan’s making cheeseburgers, hot dogs and chicken.” 

“Sounds amazing.  I’m going to be in sooo much trouble with my trainer when I get back.” 

“I’ll take pictures.  You get outta line, they’ll find their way over.  I know people,” you warned him, poking him in his pec. When you went into the living room to grab the beach bag you noticed a package on the floor next to it.  Picking it up you asked, “What’s this?”

“It’s a little something for Maddie.  Can’t show up to a birthday party empty handed now, can I?”

You shook your head, once again amazed by the kindness and thoughtfulness of this man.  “You didn’t have to do that, just having you there is going to make her happy, but thank you. I figured I’d put both of our names on the card and gift I got her.”

“You still can if you want to.  This is just something small that made me think of her, that’s it.”

You handed him the bag, and the shopping bag containing food.  He rested the gift on top of the food trays.  You gathered up your gift for Maddie, along with the cake carrier.  With everything stowed in the backseat of your SUV, you began the 20 minute ride to Ryan’s house.  You hoped your family would be as taken with Chris as you were.  

During the drive you filled him in on the other people he would be meeting today, which consisted of your immediate family and Ryan’s inlaws. You also spoke a little more about the last conversation that was had in this car. 

“So, I hate to bring this up again but I want to be clear.  You sure you're not mad about the background check stuff?” he asked.

“I’m fine with it.  I mean, when you think about it, no one even goes on a date anymore without googling the person first.  And it’s not like I wasn’t checking into you for the last year or so.  You know I’ve been a fan. I was just taken aback a bit because you hadn’t told me earlier.”

“I told you why though.  This isn’t something you tell someone by phone.  Besides, you never told me about Tumblr.”

“You never asked.”

Faking annoyance, he said, “It’s not like I could’ve guessed that one.  But speaking about Tumblr, you sure did put up a lot of stuff from ‘What’s Your Number’ lately.”

“Can you blame me after what you did for me on skype?  You were just walking sex in that movie by the way.  I’ve posted a lot about the helicopter scene in Civil War too.  But my absolute, melted-into-a-puddle moment, had to be you in all your post serum glory in First Avenger.  Hol-ee SHIT! It’s one of the most erotic things I have ever seen.”

“Seriously?” he looked at you, teasing you with a roll of his eyes. 

“Seriously.  It was mouth watering and made me think of only word.  Lick.”

Chris barked out a laugh, falling forward to smack your dashboard.  “Holy Christ Nikki!  Lick? You seriously fahckin just said ‘lick’ to me about that? I don’t know what to say here.”

“Hey, don't judge my kink, I didn't even know I had it until I saw that scene!  And you don’t have to say anything.  Just find me a good doctor to help with a sprained tongue, will ya?” you remarked with a shrug, trying your best to maintain a straight face. This was fun.  You felt completely relaxed and comfortable around him and you had no plans to hold back your humor, or your tongue for that matter. 

He laughed harder, turning red before he was able to compose himself. “So, that’s the stuff that does it for ya huh?  I’ll have to remember that.”

“It’s not only the buff body stuff.  I saw Gifted with you all bearded, soft and fuzzy looking. Every time you gave those puppy eyes to the camera I felt an explosion in my ovaries.”

Laughter erupted beside you in the car again, he was smacking his pecs hard several times in a row.  You pretended to chastise him, pointing your finger as you said, “You son a bitch! Do you have ANY idea how many women are now infertile because of you?  Not to mention the ones that instantly got preggers just by watching you with that child.  You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose!” he said, hands coming up as he attempted to defend himself. 

“That’s a crock of shit and you know it.  You can’t tell me you don’t the know the effect you have on women with those ridiculous lashes and those fucking blue puppy eyes.  And that mouth, GAH, you’re such an asshole!”

Chris was snorting with laughter, a self deprecating expression on his face. You kept stealing glances at him, still trying to fathom how you came to be in a relationship with this man. He turned to you with one of those faces that was pure Golden Retriever. You turned away quickly, refocusing on the road ahead.

“Don’t even...I can’t look at you right now.”  Waving your hand around your body you joked, “I’m old, I can’t afford to lose what eggs I have left.”  You dismissed him with another quick wave of your hand, “Go, look out the window or something, I need a minute here.”  

He turned away briefly but then looked back at you with a sweet smile.  “You’re not old.  I think you’re the perfect age to become a mom.  Unlike much younger women, you now have the patience and understanding to enjoy motherhood, and still be able to play and have fun.”

Pop!  There went another one.  Fuckin’ Bastard!  You didn’t know how to respond to what he just said, it seemed like an innocent comment, but so loaded at the same time.  Instead you tilted your head towards him, nodding a bit and gave him a thoughtful smile. Thankfully you had just pulled onto your brother’s block. 

Arriving about 10 minutes late, you sent a text to Sarah to see where Maddie was.  Once you knew the coast was clear you both emerged from the car, bags in tow.  Ryan met you, opening the gate. You placed your items on the grass beside the house. Chris followed your lead, so that you could be ready for Maddie.  Once his hands were free, Chris and Ryan exchanged a big hug in greeting, and you heard Chris say, “Good to see you bro,” answered by your brother telling him, “Glad you could make it! I’ve got a cooler full of Sam Adams over there.  Little birdy told me it was your favorite.”  You could definitely see these two becoming friends.  Chris turned towards you, smile beaming, before quickly zipping open your bag to get his shield out as he heard the sound of children coming closer to the side of the yard.   

Chris walked forward a few steps, planted his feet, and turned his body quick to get into Cap position.  He looked both adorable and ridiculous because of the tiny shield in his hand.  You grabbed for your phone, quickly snapping a shot of him.  You changed the setting to video as you heard the kids approaching.  A few seconds after you pressed the red button to record, Maddie came into view, with Sarah behind her, a huge smile on her face she could no longer suppress. 

Still a distance away, Maddie shrieked with excitement “CAPTAIN AMERICA!”  the second she spotted Chris and ran towards him at full speed.  As she got closer he dropped to one knee and scooped her up into a running hug, lifting her body and spinning her around a few times once she finally got into his arms. You captured the entire thing on video.  This was a moment you would cherish forever, and so would your niece.  He finally put her back down to earth, but she was far from walking on it.  The look on her face was of pure disbelief and giddy happiness.  

“You came!  You really came, Chris!”  she squealed, hugging him around the waist.  His face was pure bliss at the reaction he got from her.  The commotion got everyone’s attention, and soon your parents and Sarah’s family were gathered around you.  The time for the introductions had come. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration and mood set for this chapter by Ellie Goulding's What Are You Waiting For


	20. Hot Fun In The Summertime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris meets Nicole's family. They also discover how sexy something as simple as applying sunscreen can be when it's done by the right person.

“Everybody! This is Chris!” Maddie exclaimed while holding his left hand and waving hers around. She was introducing him to the small crowd as if he were a prince. Which, you had to admit, he did kinda seem like the living version of Prince Charming. He was really tickled by her display, laughing shyly. You came to the rescue, taking his other hand in yours, fingers intertwining immediately.

“I’ll bring you around for the formal introductions,” you said, just as Alex came rushing at him. These kids were losing all impulse control just from being in his presence. Seemed to be a trait in your family. 

“Chris, my man!!” Alex said, greeting him excitedly.  You released his hand and the boys instantly started the secret handshake they created in Boston before exchanging tight hugs. When they were finished Chris found your hand again, and you walked him towards the rest of the waiting guests. 

“This is Sarah, Ryan’s wife,” you said introducing him to your sister-in-law. 

“Hi Sarah, it’s nice to finally meet you in person,” he told her, shaking her hand  then giving her a big hug.  He repeated the handshake then hug move as he met Sarah’s parents, her brother Jim and his wife, Melissa.  He got animated again when he met their daughter, Emily, who had just turned 6. The little girl was asking him all sorts of questions about the shield and if he really was Captain America.  

He was so enraptured talking to Emily and Maddie, who had joined the conversation, that he didn’t notice the precocious 14 month old that had waddled her way over until she was holding onto his leg.  He looked down at the touch and broke out into a gigantic smile as she gave him a 6 tooth scrunchy face grin.   

Chris looked around, eyes growing huge and happy before looking back down at her and cooing,  “Who is this little cherub?”  

“That would be my daughter, Rebecca. Sorry about that!” you heard Melissa say as she began moving towards them.  

“No reason to be sorry, I love kids.”  The baby was now bouncing on her chunky legs and demanding, “Up, up!”  Her arms were stretched high in the air, little fists opening and closing. 

“May I?” Chris asked, picking her up after receiving her mother’s approval.  

You had been laughing at the sight of Rebecca gripping Chris’ leg, but that laughter changed to daydreaming as you watched that baby get scooped up into his strong arms. Time went in slow motion as he held her, diaper clad heiney parked on his forearm. You had never seen his face more adorable than it was right now as he interacted with her. He was giving her little belly tickles and hanging on her every movement. 

Ooohhh this baby was good, from her smile you could tell she had her new victim exactly where she wanted him.  Rebecca 1, Chris 0.  If you counted correctly, 3 small explosions in your ovaries had just been set off.  Today was going to be a test of all of your willpower in sooo many departments.  

Your parents were standing nearby, both smiling at the sight before them as they waited to be introduced. Your mom was casting glances from you to Chris, and she had as hard a time hiding her thoughts as you did. The looks you caught told you that in her head she was already planning your baby shower.  She caught you watching her, your eyes squinting as you cocked your head to let her know you were on to her.  She kept smiling but looked away sheepishly, whispering something to your father that made him chuckle and look your way. 

Chris was blissfully unaware of all of this. The little angel in his arms held his complete attention as she played with his face, holding his cheeks between her chubby little hands. ”Hi Rebecca! Can you say Rebecca? I’m Chris, can you say Chris?” To which she babbled, only able to say “Bec” before planting kisses on him. She tried to say his name but it came out as a K sound with a whoosh after it. He was thrilled that she tried. 

Walking over, you interrupted so you could introduce him to your parents. Her mom came to get her.  The baby went with her mother, but she turned, reaching for Chris with a quivering lip. You stopped her from crying by getting her attention off of him.  

Pretending to be mad you looked at her and said, “Why you little hussy!  I’m onto you, acting all cutesy and innocent.  Who do you think you are?”  You were smiling the second you started chastising her and she was giggling, pursing her lips for a kiss even as you were telling her off.After giving her a kiss hello you relented, “Fine, you win for now.  But remember girly, he’s MY boyfriend.”  She blew a spit bubble at you.  You squinted your eyes as she laughed again.  You turned away from her and returned your attention to Chris.

“You’re jealous of a baby?”  he asked incredulously. 

“We talked about this on the way here.  What did I say about you and ovaries?”

He nodded his head like a little boy getting in trouble before saying in a funny voice, “To stop exploding them.”

You pointed at your groin, then threw your hands up in the air, shaking your head. 

He looked at you with a crooked grin, “Sorry.”  He didn’t sound like he meant it.

“I forgive you...  _ this time _ .  Now let me introduce my parents before my Mom bursts,” you said as you walked him the few feet to where they stood on the deck.  You watched as Ryan and Sarah grabbed the bags with food and the cake to bring inside, she pointed to the beach bag to show you it was still beside the house. 

“Chris, I’d like you meet my parents, Tom and Evelyn.”

“It’s a pleasure, Sir,”  Chris said, so respectfully it was almost comical. He was only shaking hands with your father, but you could almost see his back twitching with the instinct to hug.  Lucky for him your family was full of huggers.  Your dad pulled him in for one while he told him, “Call me Tom, please.” 

Your mom took him in for a hug before he even finished saying his hello.  She was a fan of his from the movies, and you were enjoying the shit out of watching her fangirl right now. 

"I’m so happy we finally get to meet you, Chris!  Thank you for coming today, though I’m sure you’d rather have Nikki all to yourself. Was your flight here okay?“

“It was perfect, no complaints. I’m happy to have this time with her. It’s going to be a long few months, but once the Avengers are over things should calm down a bit.”  You took his hand in yours again, wrapping your other arm around his and snuggling up to him.  He planted a quick kiss to the top of your head. Your mom beamed.  You could see that she was planning a bridal shower now as well.

The kids had disappeared for a few minutes, but now they all came running out of the house wearing their bathing suits.  Little feet flying down the deck and across the patio, they hit the edge and cannonballed into the pool at almost the same time.  It was just after 1, already in the high 80’s, and the temperature was expected to rise a little more.  Beads of sweat were starting to run your neck. 

“Aunt Nikki, are you coming in the pool?” you heard Maddie yell out.  

“Absolutely!  You guys aren’t having all the fun.  Save me a pool noodle!”  you called over, and chuckled when you heard her say “Ok!” as she pushed one to the side just for you.  God, you loved that little girl.  

Your dad went inside to change into swim trunks, while your mom opted to stay on the deck and  take care of the baby so Mel could play with her family.  Ryan was ready for business, already in his trunks and just needing to take off his shirt.  Sarah came over to where you were standing off the side of the deck, catching you talking and flirting with Chris.  

“Hey Nicole? I’m going inside to change.  Feel free to give Chris a tour of the house. You can change in the basement bathroom if you want.”  She smiled at you guys and you could’ve sworn you caught a wink at the end. 

“Thanks Sarah, we’ll do that.  C’mon, let me show you around.”  

Chris grabbed your bag and you took him around the large 4 bedroom Colonial style home.    You passed your Dad as he was heading out to the yard.  The last stop of the tour would be the large finished basement, which was your favorite room.  Coming down the stairs you heard Chris behind you excitedly saying, “Holy shit! This is awesome!”

The basement had full size arcade machines of Pac Man and Donkey Kong, a pool table, a foosball table, a pinball machine, and a videogame area with couches surrounding a tv and multiple game systems.  An exercise area was in the opposite corner with a separate tv.  There was also a full bathroom down here.  Ryan had the space decorated with neon signs on the walls for different beers. 

“This is how you do a basement!  We had a finished basement when I was a kid, but it didn’t have so much cool stuff in it.”

“Same here.  Ryan is totally compensating in his adulthood.  I love hanging out down here when I housesit.  If you want we can change into our suits down here.  Wanna go first?”  

Chris took a few steps, bringing himself to stand in front of you.  He looked down into your eyes, holding the tip of your chin in his fingertips. 

“I’m a firm believer that a lady should always get to go first.” He brought his lips to yours then, tongue sliding slowly across your lips before entering your mouth. His hand left your chin and moved to hold the back of your head.  

You slid your hands under his shirt, running your fingertips over the muscles along his sides.  As the kiss deepened your hands wrapped around his back, hungrily holding him to you as your bodies instinctively grinded against each other. After a few minutes you pulled back, knowing you had to stop before things went too far in the basement.  Taking a moment to allow your breathing to slow, you broke apart from him, dug around in the bag, and headed towards the bathroom with your bathing suit in hand. 

Looking at yourself as best as you could in the mirror, you gave the girls one last scoop upwards into the cups while leaning forward.  You tugged the bottom over your ass, making sure nothing was sticking out.  It had been difficult finding a suit that was both sexy and appropriate for a family party, but you thought this was a good combo of both.  It was black with a sweetheart neckline.  There was stitching in different colors along the legs, right under your bust, around the cups and up the straps. The appreciative look he gave you when you came out of the bathroom made your heart jump a little.  You loved how he could make you feel so beautiful with just one look.  

Letting out a whistle, Chris ambled over to you.  “You look gorgeous,” he whispered. Then began running his hands over your hips all the way down to your ass before growling out, “These curves...mmm they are so sexy. There’s just so much to play with,” before squeezing your cheeks in both hands.  

Pushing him off you said, “You really need to stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” he asked feigning innocence.  His eyelashes were the only things you could focus on. If you didn’t count his persuasive lips. 

“Doing things that make me want to kiss you,” giving him another small kiss because you just couldn’t help yourself.

“Alright, fine. My turn.” He said and walked straight into the bathroom.  You slowly made your way to the pool table that stood just a few feet away from the door and leaned against it.

A couple of minutes later you heard Chris call out, “Hey Nikki, are we still alone down here?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because,” he began before stepping out of the bathroom, completely naked except for the t-shirt in his hands that covered his privates.  “I seem to have forgotten my bathing suit out here.”

He walked to the bag a few feet in the other direction and bent over, giving you an amazing side view of his perfect round ass.  You broke out of your stupor and finally realized what this was.  

“Oh, you little bastard!  Did you really forget your suit?  Cause this looks a helluva lot like that scene from ‘What’s your number?’ that you just ‘happened’ to see all over my blog this morning.”

“Would I do that?” Feigning innocence, hand touching his chest above his heart, the other now loosely holding the bathing suit in place. This was the first time you were seeing him completely,  or nearly naked, and your eyes didn’t know where to land first.  You focused your attention on the tattoos, the cut lines in his abs,  the veins that ran along his arms (no doubt he did a few wall push-ups before coming out.)  His body was amazing.  How was it possible to be drooling when you mouth felt so dry?

You couldn’t respond, all you could do at that moment was drink in the scene before you. Your bathing suit became damp between your legs from wanting that body just out of reach before you.  

He was watching your expression intently.  Quirking his eyebrow he asked, “Liking the angle of the dangle?” before doing a quick spin.

You chuckled, shaking your head while you smiled at him,  “A. You’re a putz.  B. ‘Like’ isn’t exactly the word I’d use.”

“Then what is?”

You thought for a moment, before giving him a sly smile.  “Fantasy.”

“Fantasy.  Hmm.  As in?”

“As in this was one, and now it’s fulfilled. But now I have a new one.”

“I'm all ears.  What’s your new fantasy about me?”

You walked over to the pool sticks, rocking your hips as you went, and took one from the wall.  Facing Chris, you leaned over the table and began sliding the pole between your fingers, rocking your body along with it.  Each stroke becoming longer and harder as you kept your eyes on his face.  You made sure he had a full view of your cleavage, pushing your tits up a bit as you slid the pole.

“My new fantasy involves you bending me over a pool table sometime.”

You slowly unfurled yourself from the table and saw the erection that was practically a coat rack as it lifted the thin fabric covering it.

“Apparently you agree with the idea.  Now be a good boy, and go get dressed before someone comes looking for us, you damn tease.”

“I’m a tease?  For real? After what you just did, I’m the fucking tease?” His voice croaked out, making him clear his throat.

“If the shoe fits,” you said, putting the pole back onto the wall as Chris stormed off into the bathroom.  

As soon as the door closed you collapsed back onto the table. He wasn't the only one suffering with a boner right now. His expressions, your vivid imagination, and that erection had created an ache deep inside you. God! You couldn't wait to bounce on that dick later. No matter how hard you were trying, the sight of Chris’ body was not leaving your head.  You wanted him so badly, needed to touch that skin.   

Walking around to your duffel you pulled out a hair tie, securing your waves into a high ponytail.  That was when the lightbulb turned on in your head.  You looked back down at the bottles of sunscreen and a plan was hatched.

When you heard him turning the knob to exit you quickly stood up and pulled yourself together, trying your best to scrub the images from your brain...and failing. 

"What's with the face? Don’t like the suit?” He asked. Seemingly unaware of the effect he was having on you, he twirled around and modeled his swimwear.

Was he kidding? It sat right below his hips bones.  They were dark blue like Cap’s stealth suit and had a white band at the top.  So many places you wanted to lick right now, soooo not the time or place for it.  More images flooded your mind. You couldn’t share them with Chris right now or your first time would be a frenzied fuck in your brother’s basement. No way that was happening. 

You shrugged, “I was hoping for a tangerine speedo.  But I guess this will do.”

“Sorry to disappoint.  Left those in Atlanta.”

Unable to meet his eyes for a moment you quietly said, “So, I was thinking maybe we should put our sunscreen on while we’re down here.  Y’know, give it time to sink in and, and then we can wash it off our hands, in, um, in the bathroom.”  Stuttering, you were almost stuttering trying to make excuses to touch him. Unreal. 

“I think it’s a great idea actually.  Want me to do you first, or…”

“No, I’ll um, I’ll do you first. Guess I should start with your back.”  Grabbing the bottle of Coppertone from the bag you gestured at Chris to turn around.  

Squirting a generous amount onto your palm you rubbed your hands together and began working the lotion into his skin, beginning with his neck and the tops of his shoulders.  You felt the tension in his muscles melt away beneath your touch and this simple sunscreen application became part massage.  He had no doubt been up since the very early morning in order to catch his flight, he deserved a little pampering.  

Getting more lotion you began working his shoulder blades and broad back.  You marveled at the masterpiece before you, all the grooves and valleys between the hard muscles that he worked so hard to achieve. 

“Damn Chris, I can’t believe how much wider you appear now than you did a month ago.  I mean, granted, this is the first time I’ve seen you in person without a shirt, but even just holding you I can tell the difference.”  

Dropping his head down, he gave a sigh. It was weary, but also part pleasure from your strokes. 

“My trainer kicked the sessions into high gear once I got to Atlanta.  We’re still stunt training and just filming little things, but I need to bulk up for any shots when I’m not in the suit.  What sucks is that normally I can slack off while we film because we do the shots in the suit last and I don’t have to be ripped under it.  They changed the filming of these two movies from simultaneous to consecutive.  Now I have to keep this up, or at least close to it, until the end of the year.”

You continued to work and gave him the freedom to vent about get frustrations off his chest.  Running your hands over his arms you relished the hardness and size of his biceps and traced the vein that was still popped up along his forearm. 

Moving to finish his back you continued listening to him, but also allowed your mind to wander a bit while he spoke. The thought of sitting on his lower back and giving him a proper massage ran through your mind.  So did sitting on his lower body with your hands pressed against his chest as you rode him.  Shit, you were getting worked up again.  Finding yourself finished you ran your hands along his waist and clasped them together across his stomach, resting your head against his back for a moment as you hugged him to you.  

Chris turned his head and spoke over his shoulder, “Your turn. I’ll start with your back.”  

You happily released him and spun around, anticipation causing you to break out in a little dance that made him titter behind you. 

He put lotion in his palms, and dropped the bottle down into the duffle.  “It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again,” he quoted causing you both to laugh like the dweebs you were. Your laughter ceased as soon as his strong hands began massaging the sunscreen into your skin.  God damn, he had good hands. Just like his, your head automatically dropped as your muscles relaxed.  You had also been up since dawn to get yourself to the airport on time, and you had a tendency of carrying nervous tension in your neck and shoulders. 

Taking your arm, he extended it high, then starting at your wrist he began rubbing lotion down your arm to your torso.  His fingers brushed the sides of your breast sending tingles through you.  He repeated the same process on the right side.  You were breathing quickly, the feel of his hands over your skin driving you wild.

When he was finished he brought his mouth close to you ear and whispered, “Turn around.” 

  
“I’m going to start with your face first, okay?”  You nodded and closed your eyes as he began stroking your face. You loved how gentle he was with you, having to be told several times to apply more pressure to rub it in.  He ran it down your neck in long strokes, slowly sliding down the straps of your suit to get your shoulders before bringing them back up.  Your eyes were locked on his face, mind racing with possibilities.  He kept stealing glances at you, making sure you were watching him and gauging your reactions. 

He spread his hands over the top of your chest, fingers massaging the skin from your collarbone to the tops of your breasts before dipping into the top of your suit.  He let his thumb graze across your nipple sending a delicious jolt through you.  

He brought his hands down to rest on your ribs, thumbs stroking the bust of the suit he said, “I just realized your thighs are going to be exposed all day too, right?  Would you like me to put lotion on them for you?”

“Only if you insist,” you answered playfully, feeling excited at the thought. 

Chris dropped to his knees in front of you, and worked some of the cream along your legs.  He pushed against your inner thigh to indicate he wanted you to spread your legs a bit and as soon as you did he began running his hand lightly along the soft, sensitive skin of your inner thighs.  You were gently rocking your pelvis, completely unable to stop yourself, as he brought his fingers up, tracing the edges of your bathing suit.  His face was just inches in front of your pussy, hot breath coming out and warming you through the fabric before he inhaled deeply.  You dropped your head back, rolling your neck, as your hands fisted in his hair.  

“I swear to God Nicole, if there wasn’t a house full of people upstairs I’d have my face fahckin’ buried in you right now.” He nuzzled his nose into your crotch and you almost lost it, bathing suit growing damp as you gushed. It had been forever since a man had gone down on you.  There were just some things even the best toys could not duplicate and the way that felt was one of them.  

The sweet torture! You could barely think straight as he continued teasing you, running his hands over your thighs, again blowing hot breath across your mound, but never actually putting pressure or touching you. 

“We don’t have to stay, maybe we can tell them you don’t feel good or something,” you said, ready to have him on you right now. If he didn’t stop soon he was going to find himself in a headlock between your legs. 

He stood up slowly, shaking his head.  “You know that’s not gonna work.  We’re here, let’s make the best of it.  Think of today as foreplay. It will just make it that much better when we do get home.”

Foreplay?  Fuck!! What today was going to be was the longest day of your life!! You looked into his eyes and saw them dark with desire again.  Moving your gaze downwards you remembered his chest hadn’t been lotioned yet.   

“I haven’t finished covering you yet.  Wouldn’t want the makeup people hunting me down for letting you get sunburned.”

You discussed his tattoos as you coated them, making sure to protect them from fading.  Using your index finger, you stroked over the clavicle tattoo as if you were reading braille as he told you about why he got it.  When you reached the one on his ab, he told you a little about his friend.  

Among the many things that drove you wild about Chris was his ridiculously perfect body hair.  Just enough to cover his pecs and lower stomach without obscuring the view of muscles.  He had that sexy happy trail that started mid chest and ran right down his groin.  When you had finished applying the lotion,  you let your finger trace it all the way down into his trunks while you gave him a quick kiss, biting his lower lip when you released it. 

Spreading your hands over his chest you said, “Why don’t you sit on the edge of the couch so I can take care of your face easier.”

Once he was seated you stood between his spread legs, his face almost in your cleavage as you began to thoroughly cover his face, getting to touch all those little freckles and moles you secretly loved.  When you applied it to his ear lobes, rubbing them between your fingers a bit, a little moan escape him.  

During the application his hands had taken a hold of your hips.  Now he was sliding them up your body until he was cupping your breasts in his large hands.  He bounced them a little, testing the weight before twisting his hands and massaging them as you attempted to finish.  

You finally said “Done” and a second later your found your top pulled down and his face buried in your tits, pushing them together to form a deep valley for his face.  

“I’m sorry, but I just had to have a taste of you again.”  He nuzzled each breast, sucking your nipples one then the other.  You dropped your head forward, lovingly stroking his head before gripping his shoulders as pleasure coursed through you again.

He stopped quickly at the sound of creaking overhead, a sure sign that someone was in the room above you.  Backing away on legs that felt like jelly, you walked to the bathroom to wash your hands and regain control of your heart beat.  

Chris stayed on the chair for a few minutes, no doubt waiting for the erection you had felt pressing against your thigh to subside.  He went into the bathroom as you were coming out and washed his hands quickly.  You smiled to yourself as you watched him drying each finger individually.  It was a habit of his and he did it in several movies.  Your girls on Tumblr were very perceptive of things like that. 

“Ready for this?” you asked, wrapping your arms around him and placing your face against his chest. He gathered you into his arms, hugging and rocking you. There had to be a way you could freeze time, just stay like this all day.  

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

Exchanging a quick kiss you released each other. You pulled a sarong from the duffel bag and covered your bottom half.  He picked the bag up to bring it outside.   

You were climbing the stairs in front of him when he gave you a swat on the ass, causing you to give a quick yelp and pick up your pace

Once upstairs you rounded the corner from the living room into the kitchen.  To the side of the kitchen was a sliding glass door that led to the back deck. Sarah was pulling some food from the fridge, preparing to put out some appetizers.  If she heard anything that went on downstairs she didn’t let it show.

“Need any help?” Chris asked, always the gentleman. Your stomach rumbled, this morning’s escapades had given you an appetite for lots of things.

Sarah quipped, “You’re gonna regret that offer. I never turn down help.  Can you guys do some slicing and plating while I make the dips please?”

“Anything for you, dear!” you replied.  Chris followed you to the counter and you handed him a couple of cutting boards topped with slicing tomatoes, and knives for both of you.  He brought them to the kitchen table not too far away. You pulled some platters from the cupboards and piled them high with cheese and veggies, before throwing a clean dishtowel over your shoulder and making your way to join Chris. 

Chris’ eyes grew wide when he spotted the 4 balls of fresh mozzarella. Sitting down you pushed the food onto the table and slid a cutting board in front of yourself. You eyed him suspiciously as you made a line of platters to be filled, knowing full well that the mischievous expression meant trouble. 

You unwrapped the first of the mozz balls, chucking the wet cellophane into the garbage can next to you, and began slicing it thin, making a pile on the side of your board. His eyes were on your hands the entire time. 

He snatched the first two pieces off the board almost as soon as they were set down.  “Mmmfff sooo good!”  He said, mouth full and eyes half closed.  You chided him and then took a slice for yourself causing him to yell at you, “Hey! No fair!” Your family devoured this stuff regularly, which is why there were so many. With Chris around, you worried that 4 of them may not be enough.

“Alright so these are all for me, what are the rest of you having?” He said, rubbing his hands together quickly before pulling all the mozz balls towards his board. 

“Not so fast there peckerhead! You’re on tomato slicing duty. Get to work, chop chop!”

One positive thing to come out of this was that you were both able to do some munching as you went along. Chris and Sarah got to talk a bit while you all worked, and it gave them a chance to get to know each other better.  

Once the mozz and tomatoes were sliced and plated, you wiped the boards with the dishtowel and handed over the washed celery to Chris.  You started in on the baby carrots, halving them to make it easier to scoop and eat.  A small chunk of celery hit your board.  You looked up with your eyes only, Chris was chopping, humming a little bit to himself like he had no idea where the piece had come from.  Giving him the benefit of the doubt, after all maybe a piece had gone flying when he chopped it, you went back to your work.  

The next piece flew into your cleavage.  You were looking down at it even as you heard Chris yell out, “Touchdown!”  He had thrown both arms into the air and was celebrating his goal.

Plucking the celery using two fingers, you slowly raised your head to eye the offender across the table.  He had the naughtiest little boy look on his face.  Flicking your eyes to make sure Sarah wasn’t watching, you flung the piece back at him along with a few carrot sticks.  He had his hands up in front of his face and chest, trying to ward off the attack.  His laughter caught Sarah’s attention.  

“What the...?!  Oh, c’mon guys, really?  How old are the two of you?”  Her palms were up and she was gesturing at the table, both amused by the antics and annoyed at the mess. “You’re cleaning this up yourselves,” she said pointing her finger between the two of you.  

“He started it,” you grumbled, sulkily getting back to your carrots.  

“Snitch,” Chris hissed at you.  The way he said it made you bust out laughing, you didn’t think you’d ever be able to stay mad at this man.

You finished your jobs, making rings of alternating veggies to surround the bowl of ranch dip.  The cheese and tomatoes were also plated and sitting on the table.  Crackers and assorted cheeses were nicely arranged on a third platter.  You got up to bring the boards and knives back to the sink.  

Hearing his chair slide out a little from the table, you knew exactly what was going on behind your back. Pulling a big wooden spoon from the utensil crock you spun towards Chris, brandishing your weapon.

“Christopher Robert! Drop the cheese and back away from the plate before you get the spoon!” 

He did as he was told, bringing a hand to his mouth in an effort to keep the contents inside while he laughed, his other hand grabbing at his pec.  

After swallowing, he shook his head and said, “Oh. My. God! Nicole, my mom is going to love you!!” 

He was back to laughing again, leaving you a bit puzzled even as you smiled and quickly walked over to the table, grabbing up the platter, and brought it back with you to the counter. 

A few minutes later you felt his warmth behind you as his arms encircled your waist. You melted into him, bare skin of your back meeting his bare chest. He dipped his head low to plant a kiss against your neck. “Just so you know, my ass has been known to break those spoons.” 

“Really? That’s a story you’re gonna have to tell me sometime. And thanks for the heads up. At least now I know to just use my palm for a spanking.”

That earned you a low growl and a small grind into your ass. Sarah was behind you guys, changing out the garbage bag and you heard her let out a chuckle.  You knew she was pretending to mind her own business while actually keeping an ear tuned to everything.  Turning your head towards her, you began asking her a question when you felt Chris’ hand leave your waist.  You spotted his arm reaching around you to snatch another damn piece of cheese from the platter in front of you.  You swatted at it and he quickly brought it back to your waist.  

"If you’re gonna have another piece, at least try it with a little of this on it.”  You poured a bit of dark liquid onto the mozz before popping it into his mouth.  

“Fahck that’s delicious!  What is this stuff?”

“It’s a garlic infused balsamic vinegar reduction. We get it from an organic farmstand out east.”

“I would love a bottle of that, my mom would probably love it too.”

“We can probably go there tomorrow if you want.  I think you’ll be safe there as long as you keep a hat and sunglasses on.  There’s a couple of other places I think would be safe if you’re game to take a ride.”

“A Sunday drive with my best girl?  Sounds like a plan,”  he said, planting a little kiss on your nose. 

You saw Sarah out of the corner of your eye.  She was behind Chris mouthing, “I hate you!”  while gesturing towards him, waving her hand up and down at his body.  You didn’t want Chris to know, so you suppressed your smile as much as possible, dismissing the question when he asked what was so funny.

Taking some of the trays, you both made your way out to the patio table and set them out (what was left of them) for the other guests.  Ryan was getting himself a beer nearby and called out to Chris, tossing him a bottle of Sams. You ran back inside to grab a few mason jars full of utensils and napkins and left the boys to make some chit chat.  Sarah followed behind you with pretzels, chips, and a bowl of French Onion dip. 

Instead of beer you opted for a frozen beverage, and set to blending up a batch of Pina Coladas for yourself and a few others. You joined Chris who was still talking with Ryan.  After a few minutes you made your way over to your parents and Sarah’s family, to mingle for a bit before heading into the pool with Chris.

You couldn't wait to see him wet. The pool would also provide plenty of opportunity for touching, and there were lots of places you were dying to get your hands on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspiration for this chapter was Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen


	21. The Heat Is On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Chris turn the heat up and things start to sizzle during the party. Her family learns more about him and Chris enjoys time with the kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is NSFW, explicit sexual dialogue and sexual situations. Other warnings/triggers: language and alcohol

While Chris was debating baseball with Ryan, you made your way to a seat with the other adults.  Your dad was taking a break from the pool, so you had both your parents and Sarah’s at the table; as well as her brother, his wife, and their baby.  Chris finished up his conversation with Ryan and came by, saying hello to everyone, and pulling up a chair next to yours.  As soon as he sat down he reached for your right hand to hold, planting a quick kiss to the back of it.   

You immediately noticed a change in Sarah's family. The atmosphere around them went from relaxed to suddenly uncomfortable.  It occurred to you that it was probably nerves from having Chris there. Your parents were acting normal, but they’d heard so much about Chris that it was as if they already knew him.  

You realized this was a reaction you would have to get used to from most people he met. After all, it wasn’t every day that people got to meet Captain America.  You didn’t think of him that way anymore, but you could see how others could find it intimidating.  It could take a while to change their perception before becoming comfortable around him.  This was a man whose face they saw on the big screen, and who was probably a multi-millionaire. His wealth was something you’d never really thought about before. Your jobs were discussed, but never salaries or net worth. He was so humble and an average Joe, that it just never occurred to you. Money didn’t seem like a big deal to him and you realized that was a good thing. 

Watching Chris, you saw that he used his smile like a weapon, disarming everyone while he charmed them. Within minutes there was a tangible shift in the air as the family relaxed and he changed from “Actor Chris Evans” to just Chris.  He was warm and engaging, and had the ability to set everyone at ease very quickly.

You finished your drinks while he answered questions gracefully, even the dreaded workout one from Sarah’s brother, Jim.  His down to earth personality was one of his most wonderful qualities. It was why you and Ryan had felt like his friends within moments of meeting him.  You noticed him taking little glances at the baby who was napping in her pack and play.  Her sleeping was probably the only reason you still had him all to yourself. 

The kids spotted you guys and started calling out for you to join them.  Excusing yourselves, you removed your wrap and then walked hand in hand down the steps from the deck, then to the paving stone patio that covered the 15 feet to the pool’s edge. 

The water was at that stage where it was a little cool at first, but then quickly turned to bathwater as you descended the steps.  As soon as you got into the 5 foot section Chris pulled you to him.  He kept a tight grip around your midsection as you took the pool noodles being handed to you by Maddie and Emily, and he kept his face close to your neck. You took advantage of the position and wiggled your hips, grinding yourself into his groin a bit.  He let out a grunt and playfully bit down on your shoulder.  Right before he released you, he skimmed his hands up your body, giving your tits a quick squeeze behind coverage of the pool noodle.  So this is how it’s going to be, huh?  After what he did to you in the basement you were in the mood to get even. You know what they say about payback….    

From that point on every chance to touch each other’s skin was taken.  While playing Marco Polo, you hid behind him, clinging to his back to keep Alex from finding you.  When the kids had cannonball competitions, you floated around in the shallow area, talking with Ryan and Jim, who were in the pool with you.  Chris held you to him, carrying you around in his arms at times. You loved the way it felt to be held by him, resting your head against his wide shoulder and closing your eyes for a few moments, enjoying the sun’s warmth.   

The guys excused themselves to go grab a bite and some beers, offering to bring Chris back a bottle upon their return.  You showed Chris how to to use the pool noodle as a carousel horse, curving it and holding on the longer end that protruded from the water for balance.  He joked that it felt like a scene from Mary Poppins.  The kids left you both alone, content with chasing dive sticks in the shallow end.  Sarah showed up with a huge pail full of water balloons and called the kids out for a game.  They followed her to the far corner of the yard where she had set up targets for the balloons, as well as several games she had found on Pinterest. 

With everyone out of the pool you took advantage of the privacy you had for a few precious moments.  You broke away from Chris and went underwater, gliding towards an area in the deep end where you wouldn’t be easily seen by anyone on the deck or by the kids. When you came up you gave him a mischievous smile, curling your index finger to call him over.  He was game and arrived at your side in seconds. 

Bobbing at the edge of the pool, Chris put his right hand up on the ledge to keep you both afloat and wrapped his other around your waist, drawing you close to him.  You allowed your hands to gently stroke up and down his sides and his back.  You gave each other a few soft and lingering kisses. 

Speaking low into your ear he growled, “I love the way your tits feel when they’re pressed against me like this.  Your nipples are so hard I can feel them through your suit.”  

With those simple words, they were now even harder.  You inhaled deeply, turned on by his voice and the feel of his hard muscles.  As you exhaled you slid your left hand down his body until it reached his dick, slowly stroking him through his suit.  You lifted your right thigh up onto his hip to block the view of your hand and kept the motion slow to avoid calling attention to it.  He groaned in your ear.  He was hard as a rock in your palm.

Taking a quick peek over his shoulders to see where everyone was, he lifted your other leg up so you were straddling him.  You were still holding onto him for balance so he let go of your waist and brought his hand down to reposition his erection, making sure it was straight up and matching the angle of your pelvis.   

Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You” was playing over the backyard speakers and you used the bouncy rhythm of the song to conceal what you were doing.  Above the water line you were just a happy couple that was singing along to the song, while bopping around in the water. 

Below the surface, he was slowly rocking his hips, and his engorged dick strained the confines of the fabric as he slid it along your suit right over your folds. You had to stifle your moans; the pressure the tip was applying to your clit was insane.  You used the hands you kept on his sides as leverage to slowly push yourself downwards, and increased the pressure when you wanted it. 

Chris sang the lyrics to you, with his eyes locked on your face and filled with lust.  He squeezed your ass while singing, “ _I’m in love with your body_.”  You were biting your lip so hard to keep control of yourself that you were afraid it might bleed. 

Leaning in towards his ear you paraphrased a line from the song and whispered, “ _I can't wait for my bedsheets to smell like you_.”  Chris tightened his hold on you.

With an evil grin, you wiggled your hips and tightened the grip your legs had around his hips, bouncing a few times against him when Ed sang, “ _C’mon be my baby, c’mon_.”

“Y’know It's funny Chris, I was just thinking in the basement how I couldn’t wait to bounce on your dick.  I really didn’t think it would happen this quickly though.” 

You saw him swallow thickly, the vein in his neck straining.  His voice was husky as he warned you, “Nicole, you better stop that before I  _ can’t _ stop.”  He smacked his hand on the patio a few times before dropping his head down onto your shoulder. 

You unraveled yourself from him quickly, making a little distance between your bodies as you looked at him with a smug smile on your face. “Okay, I’ll stop, I’ll stop.  Wouldn’t want the water getting all cloudy now would we?”

“You...are such a cocktease,”  he said slowly, voice cracking slightly.

“And you are such a twat-tease,” you replied back, leaning over to give him an innocent eskimo kiss, then lightly tapping his nose saying, “Boop!” 

Chris snorted out a laugh, surprised at your word choice.  “Twat-tease is not even a real word!”

“It is so!”

“No, it’s not.  It’s awesome, but it ‘taint a real word,” he argued, gesturing with the hand not holding him up.  You could tell he was amused by his clever use of another dirty word. 

“Twat-tease and taint are both in the Urban Dictionary.  Don’t believe me? Look ‘em up.”  

“Oh I will, Miss Smarty Pants! But right now, all I can think about is how the hell I’m gonna get this erection down when I’m looking at you and hearing the dirty words coming out of your mouth!”   You lost your shit and couldn't stop laughing as you watched him pushing a hand against his crotch, struggling to get the boner down and failing. 

“Wish I knew how to help you buddy. I’d lend a hand if I could,” you said, making a jerk-off motion to torture him further. “As for my dirty mouth, do you have anything that I could stick in there to clean it?”

He didn’t respond, giving you a smoldering look instead that bordered on dangerous, letting you know exactly what his answer was.  Placing your hand on his shoulder you told him, “I’ll let you have some space. I’ll be in the shallows when you’re ready.”

A few minutes later you saw Ryan heading to the cooler for beers and knew they would be returning to the pool soon.  When he came to hand Chris a bottle, he asked if you wanted anything, but you declined; swimming back to the deep end and helping yourself to a sip from Chris’ beer. 

“Give me that!” he chastised before taking a few long draws out of it himself.  The kids came running back to the pool, swimming over and begging Chris to lift them high and fling them into the deep end.  

Chris excused himself before diving under and chasing them around the pool like a shark.  Once the squealing stopped, he went to stand on the edge where the pool sloped down deep, calling out, “Birthday girl first! Maddie, c’mere!”  

He picked her up and pretended to throw her several times making her scream and building up the anticipation.  The look on her face was priceless once he actually launched her into the air, letting her end with a huge splash. 

You were about to leave the pool when you found yourself pulled backwards and cradled in his arms.  You were screaming to be let go but he ignored your demands, counting down with the kids: 3, 2, 1...and then sending you flying.  When you came back up you made a menacing face; shaking your first at each of the co-conspirators before getting out by the ladder closest to you, not wanting to risk getting thrown again. 

Grabbing your towel, you dried yourself quickly and then wrapped it around your waist before making your way to the deck to fill up a plate to nosh from.  You snagged a bottle of water and took a seat at the table to chat with the ladies.

You munched away, keeping an eye on Chris while keeping up conversations with the other women.  

“He’s even more handsome in person than in the movies,” your mom remarked, watching Chris playing in the pool with the kids.  “And he’s so sweet.  This is the kind of man I always hoped you’d end up with Nicole,” she added wistfully.  

Using a carrot stick to emphasize your words you looked at her pointedly, “Mom, we’ve been dating for a month.  This is the first day that we’re even in the same room together since my birthday.  Don’t you think it’s a little early to be talking about our future together?”

“Never too early if it’s the right one. I’ve got a good feeling about this,” she added while cocking her head at you. She practically whispered the last part, almost as if she thought he might hear her say it. She lifted her wine cooler and tilted it at you before taking a long sip. 

“I’d say you were drunk, but I know better.   _ Please  _ don’t say anything like that in front of Chris! I’m begging you Mom!”

“I’ll be good, I promise. I’m only telling you what I feel.”

“Sure it’s not because you’re crushing on him a little?  I remember how many times you said he had beautiful lips when we watched ‘Civil War’ together.”  Now it was your turn to give her the brow.

“Nonsense! I was just admiring him.”

With your head turned towards Sarah and her sister in law Melissa, you hadn’t noticed Chris coming towards you until he blocked the sun by standing beside your chair.  

“I came out to dry off a bit. Alex wants to throw the football around a little.  Figured I’d grab a quick kiss and another beer.”  Kiss granted, he headed off to get himself a beer and food.  

His body was insane. Covered with dripping water, it made you wish he would lay down so you could use him as a human slip-n-slide.  When you turned your attention to the ladies it was to see Sarah once again saying in a low voice, “I hate you!” before opening her eyes wide and pointing his way.  

Now wrapped in a towel, he came back and pulled up a chair next to you.  He easily joined in the conversation, his face lighting up as he talked about his beloved mom and sisters.  He pulled his phone from your duffel, checking messages and answering a few texts.  After a few minutes you heard him say, “Son a bitch! Why are you always right!”

“What are you talking about?”

“The word you used before is in the Urban Dictionary! Just like you said! You little pain in the ass!”

“‘Taint my fault I’m smart.”

“I’m sorry, twat was that?”

You looked at each other with grins for a few seconds, enjoying what you thought was a private joke, until you realized Sarah had picked up on it as she added, “Twat now?”   

It sent you all into loud hysterics and succeeded in waking up Rebecca, who had been stirring for the past few minutes.  She smiled the second she spotted Chris.  

After getting her diaper changed, she made a beeline for him and took her place in his lap.  She began feeding him cheerios from a bowl her mom had placed on the table before her.  Even though beer and cheerios were probably not a great combo, he took each one like a champ as she popped them into his mouth, one for him, then one for her.  

Alex came running over to ask Chris if they could play with the frisbee.  He handed Rebecca to you for safekeeping and headed off to the back of the yard. Ryan and Jim had left the pool and went to play as well. The girls had retreated to the swingset and playhouse.  Your dad came by and took the chair vacated by Chris.  You happily became the new recipient of Cheerios. 

“Soooo, what are your thoughts dad? I’m sure you have some already,”  you asked, holding your breath and hoping that it would be positive.  Your father was a police detective, always on the job, always assessing people.  And no one was good enough for his little girl.  

“He seems like a good man from what you’ve told me and what I’ve seen so far.  He seems genuinely taken by you. I can see that when he looks at you.”

“But?”

“Nothing really, just feeling him out. I gotta say I’m surprised by the tattoos.  I don’t remember seeing any of them in the Avengers movies.  I also didn’t think you’d be into a guy with so many.  Thought you didn’t like them very much.”

“I don’t have a problem with tattoos, Dad. I have a problem with fad tattoos.  The kind that are obviously chosen off a wall because someone decided on a lark to get one.  I can appreciate tattoos that are custom and have meaning.  By the way, he had them during Captain America.  He just has really, really good makeup artists.”

“So his are special and actually mean something?”

“Well, yeah. Every one of them has a special meaning. Most of them have to do with his family and some are for friends. My favorite is the one on his clavicle.”

“Yeah, I saw that but didn’t want to stare at him to read it.  Do you know what it says?”

Seriously? You had it memorized.  How many times had you fantasized about licking over those letters? 

You quoted, “ _When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself.  When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world_.”

“That’s beautiful,” your mom said, looking over at him.  You followed her gaze and smiled, continuing to explain the others to them all.

“The bull on his left arm is a nod to his mom.  It’s her zodiac sign.”

“She’s a Taurus like me?”  your mom piped in.

“Yes, she is.  I don’t remember her birthday though, I’ll have to ask him.  Anyway, the letters on his right bicep spell out ‘ _Loyalty_ ’ because that’s one of the most important things to him.  Loyalty to his family, his friends, and theirs to him.”

“What about the one on his right ab?”  asked Sarah, a twinkle in her eye. She was a fellow an lover.

“That one says, ‘ _In loving memory, Bardsley, with me always_.’ It’s a tribute to his best friend since childhood who died in an off roading accident at 22.  He was someone who really pushed Chris to follow his acting dreams. His other tattoo is on the back of his ankle, it’s ‘ _SCS_ ,’ the initials of his siblings: Scott, Carly and Shana.”

The girls had left the swings and all of the children were now chasing Chris, apparently playing a game of tag.  They teamed up on him and got him down to the ground. He was laughing even as he yelled out, “Shit! No way! Not fair!”  

Everyone laughed when Alex and Maddie scolded him in unison with, “Language!” 

Sarah excused herself to go set up additional lawn games for the kids. Chris helped her carry large wooden planks out of the shed and they set up a game for bean bag tossing. He was under the shade of the trees, so he didn't need sunglasses on. This allowed you to watch his face and see the enjoyment he got from playing with the kids as he took turns tossing and sipping his beer. 

You could see your dad’s demeanor soften a little, the insight into Chris helping to further confirm his idea of him.  Mel asked how you met, and you told her about the Omaze contest and Chris’ charity work with Christopher’s Haven.  

Your dad gave a sound of approval after hearing the story, clapped his hand on your shoulder, and said he was going to grab some food. 

Chris and the kids had jumped back into the pool and were all horsing around. Jim and Ryan had grabbed a couple of fresh beers and were in it too, hanging out on the edge.

The sound of girls shrieking with delight caught everyone's attention. The source was Chris standing with his biceps bulging, this as Maddie and Emily each hung off of one. His smile grew wider as the their volume increased every time he lifted his arms and down, which dunked the girls into the water. He was un-fucking real.  You could see that yummy vein popping out on his arm. 

Mind filled with lusty thoughts, you jumped when you suddenly found Sarah leaning into you to whisper, “Please, let me live vicariously through you and tell me you’re jumping on that after the party? I beg of you, please!!! Do me proud woman!”

Your face turned crimson and you had to turn away from your parents, who thankfully were out of earshot. 

Before you could answer her, she gave you another “I really fuckin’ hate you right now” look. You followed her gaze and saw Chris standing in the pool; he was smiling at you as he stretched and flexed his muscles, this following the 60 pound per arm lifting he had just done. Your brother was behind him, flexing his much smaller muscles, hilariously pretending to be sexy and manly.  

“I don't know how you can hate me so much when you get to have all of that to yourself every night. I’ll be lucky to see Chris a few days a month!” You made eye contact with Sarah, then Melissa, and then your mom, before you all busted out laughing.  Ryan didn’t notice, he was still busy being all “I’m too sexy” when Chris wasn’t looking. 

“Then you better make them count. This is the first you’ve seen each other since you left Boston, right? Where’s he staying?”  Sarah asked.

Your mom had turned towards you, being nosy. You froze.  You were a grown ass woman and yet, you couldn’t say in front of your mommy that a boy was spending the night. 

“Chris is staying at the Marriott near my place.”

“You're making him stay at a hotel, Nic?” Your mom asked, sounding surprised and, wait, was that disapproval you saw on her face? 

“Yeah, well, he doesn't know anyone out here. I didn't think it would be proper for him to stay with me.”

You mom shrugged and looked away, shaking her head a little before taking another sip of her drink.  What the hell was going on here? You had the fleeting thought that if everyone wanted you to bed him so badly then you'd gladly take him upstairs, or go home with him right now. 

Deciding you needed a change of scenery before you jumped on him for real, you pushed back from the table and excused yourself, “I’m done with the pool.  I’m going inside to change.” 

You got back into your sundress, then fixed your hair with some leave in conditioner.  Heading outside, you grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and went for some more snacks. All the mozz was gone. No secret who made that happen, so you went with chips and french onion dip, along with some veggies and ranch. You stayed by the side of the deck, sunglasses on, observing everyone, but mainly just taking advantage of the chance to soak in the sight of Chris. Holy shit, he had you on fire. 

He saw you on the side of the deck and waved, telling the kids he was taking a break and doing that sexy stride of his over to where you were, grabbing his towel and wiping himself off along the way.

“Hey,”  Chris said once he reached you.

“Hey,” you replied, giving him a little chin lift.

“Sup?” He said

“Nothing, what’s up with you?”

“Nothin.”  He looked away, acting all casual, before looking at you with his head tilted back, “Hey, you look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?” he asked, playfully flirting with you. 

“It's entirely possible. Do you watch a lot of porn?”  It was a struggle but you managed to keep a straight face, at least for 30 seconds or so.

Chris laughed loudly and then pulled you in for a hug while saying, “Nerd.”

“Dork!“ you murmured into his chest, enjoying the feel of his chest hair against your face. “Oh, and before I forget, I wanted to thank you for gun show before.  That was quite a sight to behold.”

“Oh yeah?  You like these strong arms do ya?” he said, squeezing you and lifting you off of your feet a bit before releasing you. 

“Baby, I love everything about you,” before taking his face in both of your hands and placing a kiss on those luscious lips.  

Your brother and Jim had made their way back over to the deck and you could hear them catcalling you.  Never breaking the kiss, you lowered all but the middle finger of your right hand which was facing them and wiggled it at them.  Chris realized what you were doing and had to stop kissing you as he sputtered out a laugh.   

“C’mon, take a girl for a walk would ya?”  Hand in hand you ambled around the perimeter of the yard, talking and looking at the flower beds.

Ryan and Sarah loved to garden and it showed.  The yard was full of gorgeous flowers of all kinds. There was a section to the side with fragrant rose bushes.  It was a wonderful yard for entertaining.  

You stopped in front of the rose, Chris admiring the different colors and scents.

“They’re beautiful right?  I love these red ones.  It’s almost the color in the Captain’s shield,” you said, nudging him playfully.  At the touch he turned you towards him, not kissing you this time, but wrapping his arms around you instead.  He stood there holding you, his back to the deck so you were hidden from view. 

Still embracing you, he said in a voice just above a whisper, “The most beautiful thing I see out here is you. Do you have any idea how happy I am to be with you right now?  I’ve missed you so much, Nicole. I know we talk all the time but...”  

He paused and looked away for a moment.  When he looked back at you, his eyes had a slight sheen to them. 

“Just being able to hold you in my arms, to feel your energy, just touching you,” he stroked his index finger down your arm leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake, “It’s everything to me. This is what I’ve needed. This is what I’ve been craving.”

Your heart was beating so hard you were sure he could hear it. You never, ever, imagined any man saying things like this to you, let alone  _ this _ man.  It was straight out of a dream. You would normally be about to cry when you felt emotions this strong, but you were in a bit of shock. Bringing your hand up to his face, you stroked the side of it, watching your finger as it traced the angles of his face.  

“I know _ exactly  _ what you mean.  Honestly, I’m talking to everyone here today but...all I can think about is you.” Flattening your palm against his face, you recalled the moment you did it at the escape room on the day you met, smiling at the memory.  You had come so far from that shy and guarded woman in just a month. 

You locked eyes with his beautiful blues and watched as his lashes danced around as he searched your face. Lowering your hand, you wrapped your arms around his waist. You never broke your gaze. You couldn't. There was a different feeling in this moment that felt magical, and you were so connected to him right now that you had no qualms about speaking your mind. 

“All I can think about is taking you home. I want to spend the night in your arms and wake up in them in the morning. I need to feel you inside me, I need it so bad that I’m aching. The thought of being with you is consuming me right now.”

Chris’ voice was a husky deep whisper as he asked, “And how exactly do you propose I cure that ache?”

Releasing a hand from his waist you slid it up to trace circles over his chest, flicking a finger over his nipple. You kept watching your progress as you said, “First, you’re going to show me just how talented that hot mouth of yours really is. I want you to eat me out so good my eyes roll to the back of my head.”

You felt him inhale under your hand, the beginning of an erection pressing against your hip.  “Then, I want to lick and suck every inch of your skin and learn all the spots that drive you wild.”

Lifting your eyes you found him watching you with eyes that were intense and sexy as hell. His jaw was locked and his expression serious.

Keeping your eyes on his face, your voice coming in breathy from arousal, you finished your explanation.  “Lastly, I want you to fuck me so deep and so hard that the neighbors bang on the wall because of the noise.”  

Everyone else in the yard was forgotten in that moment. In fact, it felt like there was no one else in the world but you and Chris.  As soon as you finished speaking he gripped you tightly and crashed his lips against yours in a searing kiss.  Your body was shaking from the sheer force of the passion between you. For the first time, in a long time, you felt completely alive. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Influence for this chapter was Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You"


	22. Anticipation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole finish out their day at her niece's birthday party with some ovary exploding moments and then make their way to Nicole's apartment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW 18+ Chapter warnings/triggers: sexual situations, language, alcohol, spontaneous pregnancy and potential ovary explosions

The moment was over too soon and the sounds of reality started to make their way into your bubble.  Ryan had gone over to the bbq (thankfully it was on the other side of the yard) and the clanging of tools and platters and orders being called out could be heard. You remained holding each other for a minute; the sound of his heartbeat against your ear that rested upon his bare chest was loud and fast.  You began to place soft kisses over his heart, when the sound of him saying your name in a breathy moan made you stop to look up. 

“Just so we’re clear, as much as I’d love to fuck you into the mattress tonight, I’ve got to hold back. It’s been a long time for you.  If I don’t take it easy I gonna hurt you and you’ll be in pain tomorrow.”  You started to protest when he added, “Hey, hey, it’ll be fine.  Trust me, you’ll be completely satisfied tonight.  I’m just saying... we’ve gotta be careful.  I plan on spending most of tomorrow buried in you, in some way. Can’t do that if I hurt you tonight, now can I?”

Playing with his chest hair you grudgingly agreed, “Fine. I know you’re right.”  Your pout changed into a sexy smirk as you looked at him, poking his chest with your finger for emphasis, “Just so  _ you _ know I’m going to hold you to every word you just said.  Screw the road trip.  We’re staying home, Evans. I’ve got over 3 years of lost time to make up for.”

He rolled his eyes skyward and declared, “Fahck! Maybe we need to worry about ME being the sore one!”

“Hey, if you’re not up to the task I always have that box of fun you found while snooping this morning,”  you teased, “I’ve got another Cap ready for action.  And Thor if I really want to get risque!” you made your eyebrows dance a little.

“I thought we discussed this! NO THOR!”

“Yeah, yeah. Hey? Was there a Winter Soldier in there?  Metallic could feel kinda niiicee,” you sing songed.  “Who’s your buddy? Your pal?  Your backdoor Bucky?” 

Chris scoffed, “Wait a sec, didn’t you specifically say this morning no playing in the backdoor?” 

You paused, pretending to be thinking before stating, “That’s cause it was Cap, but Bucky’s different.  No girl can resist that plum fondler. He’s been through a lot.  He’s all dark and likes it rough.  Cap is all Unicorns farting out rainbows compared to him.”

“Fahck that shit!  You have no idea how dark and brooding Cap really is. He’s tortured!  He has a dark side!  If they had let him wear that dark blue stealth suit again instead of the pansy ass red striped ones you’d see a whole different part of him!”

“Oh my God!  Dude… you wear that stealth suit in the bedroom one night and I will say yes to ANYTHING!”

Chris smirked, nodding his head a bit, “Anything,  you say?”  Leaning down, he captured your lips for one more intense kiss, the kind that make a girls toes curl. God Damn was he a good kisser. 

“One thing all those toys can’t do is replace this tongue,” he growled at you sexily, knowing damn well after that kiss how you would think about all the places he could use it.  You had no words, only a deep moan.  He knew he had won this argument and softly laughed into your hair.  

You remained where you were for a few moments more, your vivid imagination running away with you.  If you didn’t get back around the crowd again soon there was a very strong possibility he was getting dragged behind the nearby shed.  

“Better get back to reality, I guess. Food, cake, gifts and then we get the fuck outta here!  Deal?” you asked. 

“That sounds like a wonderful plan,” he agreed as he took your hand and you walked back to the deck together; the warmth still coursing through your body, the words still racing through your mind.  It was hard to believe that you had just said those things to him, had these conversations.  It felt liberating. 

Instead of sitting down on the patio, you led him to the kitchen to see if Sarah needed any help.  She handed you the salads, and Chris was given a large platter full of meats and cheeses to bring to Jim, who was now working the bbq.  He went outside as you stayed behind to gather the serving utensils.  Once you were alone, Sarah pounced.  

“Soooooo, I couldn’t help but notice what was going on back there.  Now spill it!  Where is he really staying?  Please don’t break my heart and say the Marriott!”  She had her hands pressed together like she was praying, begging you with her voice and her eyes.  You were as close as sisters and you knew you could confide in her.  

“He’s staying with me until Monday morning.  I don’t know why, but I froze when mom asked me about everything.  Leftover Catholic girl guilt, I guess.”

Ryan had walked into the kitchen to grab some more food for the grill. He had apparently overheard some of your conversation because as he pulled items from the fridge you heard him sing, “Bow chicka wom wom.”

“Knock it off Ry or I’ll make you regret it!”  you threatened.

“Oh really?  How? I’d like to see you try.”

“Fine, you want all the sordid details? Then I’ll tell ya.  Let’s see, where to start?  Oh yeah, this one time...on the couch...Chris and I...”

He shook his head quickly, grabbing up the tray of food, and practically running out the back door. “Nope!  I’m good! Sorry sis.”

“Wait, you’re giving details?  I want details! I  _ love _ details!”  Sarah laughed, smiling like a teenager at a slumber party.  

“We’ll talk next week, I promise,” you told her before walking outside with the food.  Sarah followed behind with more things on a tray. Chris had just reached the door and moved aside to let you both exit.  He had the beach bag and was going in to change.  

As you were setting things down, Maddie and Emily came by, begging you to help them play freeze dance.  Grabbing your cell phone you happily agreed, scrolling through your music app to find the song she asked for.  You walked with them down to the patio and started the game. 

Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” was the birthday girl’s request and you would play 20-30 seconds of it, then stop the song, causing them to freeze in funny poses and expressions.  

Chris startled you when he leapt down from the deck.  He was suddenly next to you shaking his ass, wiggling his hips and waving his arms around, much to everyone’s delight.  You stopped the song and he just kept grooving.

“Chris! You’re apposed to stop dancing when the song freezes!” Maddie yelled through her hysterical laughter.

“I know, but once the rhythm gets in my body it’s like I can’t control myself! I just gotta GET DOWN!” he said while wiggling his way down to the floor as the music started again.  He got back up and then shimmied his shoulders at you, causing your head to drop back, laughter roaring through you.  You had to admit, the man had some awesome hip action.

“Screw it! It’s a free for all now!” you yelled, joining in the dance, shaking it with your boyfriend and the kids.  You could hear your mom’s happy laughter coming from the deck.  Chris pulled out an old school Janet Jackson head swerve.  You countered with the Roger Rabbit.  He did the Robot. You did the Sprinkler.  The dance off continued through the next song and the kids were losing their minds.  It was glorious.

The Dance party eventually had to end and you and Chris made your way up to the deck, laughing at the giant dorks you both were.  Being silly like that together felt natural and free.  You were a little out of shape and out of breath, while Chris was just a hot sweaty mess, pushing his hair back and wiping at his brow.  You bowed together at the applause you received from the family.  

He grabbed two beers, handing you one and clinking bottles, and you took seats around the table. You loved watching as Chris engaged the entire family in conversation, a natural when he was comfortable.  He really was a wonderful storyteller and his hands did half the talking for him.   

Sarah called for some help getting things ready on the table since the food was nearly cooked.  You volunteered and so did Melissa, handing Chris the baby who was awake and looking for her buddy. Once everything was set you took a seat near him again.

It was a mistake.  He was holding Becca, his large hands cradling the child. Chris had begun rocking her back and forth while singing the Kenny Loggins song “Pooh Corner” to her.  She was gripping her Pooh Bear doll, beaming a smile at him.  

“ _ Christopher Robin and I walked along, under branches lit up by the moon _ ...”  

No one spoke, everything just watched and listened.  He was so wrapped up in the moment and in her reactions that he didn’t even realize all eyes were on him until he finished his song.  He looked around a little nervously, before making eye contact with you.  There was a line of tears coming down your cheek, his little showcase had just upped your feelings for this man tenfold and he didn’t even know it.  

“Ovaries?” he asked, eyebrows raised and eyes squinting like he was in trouble.  

“No Chris.  We’re beyond my ovaries exploding.  I think you just got me pregnant.”

His head fell back, “Oh my God, Nikki, seriously?”  

You looked around at the others, “Who else here just get spontaneously preggers? Show of hands please.”  

Everyone, even the older moms, shot their hands up high.  Ryan and Jim who were off on the side of the deck grilling put theirs up for good measure.  Chris held onto Rebecca tightly as he laughed, turning bright red in embarrassment.  He handed Melissa back the baby and stood up.

“I’m really sorry about that ladies...and fellas.  Now, I need to go call my mom and give her the good news.”

“Sit down, you ass!” you chided him.  

Instead he came over for a quick kiss and said, “Nah, I better go be a manly man now and grill some meat or something,” and disappeared over to the bbq for some male bonding time.

You continued talking with your parents and Sarah’s parents, taking your own turn with the baby, until delicious smelling platters started coming onto the deck.  Becca was put into her pack-n-play to keep her safe, while everyone else filled their plates up.

Chris took a seat across from you at the table and began to chow down.  When he got to the macaroni and potato salads you made he said, “Mmmppphhh! This is so good babe!” moaning around a mouthful of food. “You have GOT to make these salads for my family when we have a BBQ.”

Delighted at his appreciation of your food, and at his mention of you meeting his family, you just nodded your head and smiled while eating.

Your mom, God bless her, decided this would be the perfect time to tell Chris, “She’s actually a wonderful cook.  I’ve had her in the kitchen with me since she was little. Nic, you should make him dinner tomorrow before he leaves. Or at least breakfast.  Don’t make him eat that stale hotel food.”   

Chris looked at you with questioning eyes but didn’t say anything.  You must have been the color of a deep Merlot. “I’d love to make him dinner sometime Mom.  I don’t know what our plans are yet for tomorrow. As far as breakfast, I figured I’d pick him in the morning from the hotel and bring him over to my place.  Would that be ok, Chris?” You looked at him, willing him to go along with you and just agree.  Thankfully, he got the hint and nodded in agreement.

“Sounds perfect! I’d love to eat something at your place in the morning.” You almost did a spit take hearing those words while he looked at you, all the while with a tiny smirk and a little devil in his eyes.  You turned your face down and buried it into a bite of your burger, trying to hide the grin that was spreading across your face.  The fact that he could say the line so innocently in front of everyone proved his acting skills. It also sent tingles to all your naughty places.  

Changing the subject you called over to Alex.  “Remember when I showed you the picture of Chris’ dog?  Guess who’s watching him while he’s here?”  

“Who?”

You pointed to the emblem on his t-shirt and he looked confused,  “Who? Me?” 

“No, not you silly! Spider-man! That new guy Tom Holland that was in Civil War.”

Excitedly bouncing in his chair, Alex turned to the seat next to him, “Oh my gosh, really Chris?!  You know him?”  He had taken a hold of Chris’ arm and was now out of his seat, jumping up and down while holding onto his bicep.

Chris laughed and put his hand on top of Alex’s, nodding to match the jumping.  “Yeah, he’s a great guy.  He and Dodger have become best buds.  He takes him for walks all the time when I’m busy on set.”

Chris pushed back from the table a little when he finished eating and Becca soon reclaimed her spot on his lap.  He was a natural with her and managed to maintain adult conversations while still engaging her in play.  It was proof of how much time he spent around his family; the years of being around his own nephews and niece had clearly given him plenty of practice.  He was going to make an amazing dad someday.  A daydream briefly ran through your mind.  You were sitting on the floor next to Chris on Christmas morning, handing out packages and watching the faces of your children light up with joy.  You’d look over their heads and make eye contact, then exchange a loving smile and a wink with each other. 

The second the thought entered your brain you warned yourself to knock it off.   _Don’t get ahead of yourself Nicole, it’s only been a month_.  And yet, seeing him with that little girl just felt _so_ _right._  You had to move away and get your head back in place, so you started cleaning up to get things ready for dessert and presents. After that, you would be free to leave and move onto your own dessert.  

It was beginning to get buggy out so the festivities were moved indoors.  A pile of gifts waited on the window seat in the living room for Maddie.  Sarah had picked up an ice cream cake with Chris’ name on it as a surprise, she was always so thoughtful and you gave her a quick hug.

As everyone gathered around the dining room table the coffee and desserts starting flowing in.  You carried over the cake you made for Maddie, placing it in front of her chair. It was covered in a light lavender colored frosting, and all over the cake were different emoji faces you made out of fondant. Sticking out of the cake was a chalkboard sign saying “Happy Birthday Maddie!” There were long sparkler candles for her to blow out and you just couldn’t believe how old she was getting.

Sarah came out with the ice cream cake and placed it in front of Chris. He was shocked and so touched by it. He gave her a smile and hugged her, then planted a kiss on her cheek as he thanked her.  If he was happy about the ice cream, he was overjoyed when your mom followed a few minutes later with a special treat for him.

“Nicole was telling us about your love of cannoli.  Consider this a belated birthday present, Chris.”  She placed a plate on the table that held a gigantic cannoli stuffed with 2 dozen smaller ones; some dipped in chocolate, others plain.  He looked like he was about to cry.  

“Evelyn, wow! You totally didn’t have to do that, but I am so happy you did!  I can’t wait to try them, thank you so much!” He stood up and gave her a big hug.  He looked across the table to your dad and said, “Thank you, Tom. I truly appreciate it.” 

“You’re welcome, Chris,”  he replied, giving him a warm smile in return. 

Placing her hand on his shoulder your mom confided, “You deserve it, you make our baby so happy.  That means everything to us.”  

He looked over at you as you stood next to Maddie and said, “Well, she makes me happier than you could ever imagine.” You felt the heat rise up in your cheeks and your body grew warm.  What a way with words this one had. Maddie bumped playfully into your hip and flashed you a smile. 

After the candles were placed and lit, the lights went dim and everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to both Madison and Chris.  They blew out their candles together as everyone cheered.  You assisted with the cake cutting and helped serve it. When it was your turn you grabbed slices from both cakes, as well as a piece of cannoli (calories don’t count at birthday parties), and headed towards Chris. There was a slight shortage of chairs so you took advantage of it and sat in his lap. You kissed Rebecca on the top of her head along the way, placing a cannoli on the table of her high chair. It was your way coaxing her to not shoot daggers your way for taking her spot. It worked, when you looked over at her again she was happy as a clam, her face spotted with cannoli cream and sprinkles.

Chris had already eaten most of his desserts and was chowing down on his ice cream cake, but then suddenly stopped and just stared at the plate for a moment. 

“Is everything okay?” you asked.

“I don’t know. I wonder if this is spoiled or something.  It has a weird odor. Here, smell it.”  

As soon as you leaned forward for a sniff he smushed the cake up into your face.  The surprised squeak you emitted caught everyone's attention and they watched as you slowly looked at Chris and glared.  

From a few seats away,  Ryan barked out a laugh so hard he snorted before yelling out, “Dude! I love you  _ so much _ right now. But you realize you’re a dead man, right?  You are SO SCREWED!!” All of the guys at the table laughed and echoed their agreement. Even your Dad got a kick out of it.  Traitor.  

Chris had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.  With you on his lap he was all but trapped, stuck at your mercy.  Problem was you had none. He shut his eyes tight and grimaced comically as you gripped the back of his head and brought your face to his, smearing the ice cream all over it.  Everyone around the table was hysterical and your mom started chastising you as if you were the one who started it.  When you were satisfied that he was sufficiently dirty, you lifted your face and looked at him.  You were both a mess.  

Picking up a napkin, you started wiping your face, shaking your head as you warned him with a threatening look, “You get to do that once, Evans.  Once. Cake is to never be smashed into my face again, you understand?”  

“I do. I promise.” He was licking the ice cream off his lips, looking down like a boy who had learned his lesson...the hard way.  You handed him a napkin.  

From around the table you heard people adding their two cents with calls of, “Oooooh, Chris is in trouble!” Alex was of course the loudest.  

Rebecca apparently thought this was a new game and began smushing her face into her plate. Everyone at the table erupted into hysterics as she raised her little lavender frosted face and smiled, giggling and clapping in happiness.  It was one of the most adorable things you had ever seen and for a moment you forgot your own face was covered.  Even her mother was laughing at the little munchkin, while at the same time trying to get her to stop because of the mess she was making. She eventually picked her up out of the chair to wash up at the kitchen sink.  

At some point you realized you had ice cream cake and frosting in your hair, and it appeared that Chris did as well.  Speaking low enough where only he could hear, you cocked an eyebrow and said, “Chris, you really need to watch your aim.  You got sticky stuff all over my hair, you bad boy.”  The look on his face as he struggled to restrain himself from reacting was priceless.  

Letting out an exasperated sigh you dropped your head back, rolling your eyes, “C’mon, let’s go clean up.  We can use the bathroom off the mudroom. Excuse us, everyone.”  

You led Chris down the hall to the bathroom and went in together.  You weren’t mad, it wasn’t anything your brothers hadn’t done a thousand times, it was more that you were surprised you fell for it.   You took turns washing up at the sink.  Once dry, you closed the door behind you, then leaned against it.  

“We only have a few minutes, but now you owe me Evans.”  

He came to you, wrapping one arm around your waist, using his other to take control, pinning your wrists above your head.  You made out hot and heavy; desire intensifying now that you knew the time to leave was drawing near.

“You’re getting stubbly,” you said when the kissing slowed, feeling the bristles as they rubbed against your chin.  

“Do you mind it?”

“Not at all.  Besides, I’d never complain about beard burn….as long as I have fun getting it.”

“Oh, I can make it fun.  Let’s see, where you would most enjoy it?  Maybe here?” he asked, kissing you hard on the lips again, then trailing his way down over your chin and you neck.  

“Or here?”  he said, dragging his face down your collarbone and in between your breasts.  

He suddenly released your hands and spun you around; your cheek now pressed against the door.  He came up close behind you, gripping your waist and whispered in your ear, “Maybe here?” before kissing the skin behind your ear and trailing his tongue down to the base of your neck.  

“Or maybe down here?” he said, moving one hand to palm your breast as the other moved down under your dress, lifting it up before using his index finger to draw circles on the soft skin of your inner thigh, trailing it along your panties.

The way he was touching you was yet again driving your wild.  The sensations were overwhelming you, but suddenly, so was your anxiety.  Ever since you saw him early this morning in the airport the thought of him leaving you again so soon had been plaguing your mind. You had been smiling all day, keeping up a facade but on the inside your heart was splintering and your brain was going into overdrive.  How was this going to work?  Could you really make something long distance work when already the thought of him leaving again left a pit in your belly?  Would you be able to say goodbye each time without this feeling like your heart was being crushed?  If this relationship worked there were going to be so many times you would have to deal with this, could you do it?  

You punched the door lightly with your fist, “God damn it, Chris!”

He immediately backed away, “What’s the matter? I’m sorry if I…”

You turned, leaning your back against the door.  Your hand was resting against your chest and you were lightly thumping over it, willing your racing heart to slow down.  

“You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all me.”  You stopped for a moment, gathering the strength to say what was on your mind while looking at the hurt puppy dog face looking back at you. “I haven’t even slept with you yet and...already I can’t get enough of you.  But now what am I supposed to do?”  You broke away from his eyes, tears beginning to form in your own.

“How am I supposed to let you go on Monday?  I don’t even know when I’m gonna see you again.”  The tears had broken through, Chris reached up and wiped them off your cheeks, trying to catch each one as he shushed you.  

“I know Nic, I know.  This fahcking sucks, but I’ll make it work.  WE’LL make it work, I promise.  Please don’t cry, ok? Otherwise I’ll start to cry, and then we’ll get weird looks when we go back with red eyes, right?”

You chuckled a little, pulling yourself together as best you could.  For his sake, as well as your own sanity. 

“Look at me.  Let’s not worry about Monday now. Let’s not even THINK about Monday until it’s here.  We have the rest of tonight and all day tomorrow.  Once we leave this house I am not leaving your side again, we’ll make every minute count okay?”    

You answered him with a slow kiss.  You didn’t trust yourself to speak just yet, afraid that you would accidently spill how much you cherished him at this moment.  With a tilt of your head you motioned towards the door and opened it, Chris following behind you as you returned to the other guests. You wiped your eyes along the way and put on your game face.

You found everyone migrating to the living room to watch Maddie open her gifts.  She opened accessories and outfits for her American Girl doll, then lots of Shopkins stuff, and some clothes. You had given her an Itunes gift card for her tablet, an emoji pillow and emoji flip flops.  When she opened Chris’ gift her face lit up.

“I hope you like it, Maddie.  It reminded me of when we drew together at that restaurant.”  He had bought her an art set, complete with colored pencils, markers, crayons and a small set of paints inside.  He had even included a few different sized sketchpads.

“I love it! Thank you so much Chris!”

“You’re very welcome sweetheart.”

She opened her last gift, then went around to give everyone hugs and kisses.  She headed to Chris last and asked if he would draw something with her before leaving.  He looked at you, his eyes questioning, and you nodded to let him know it was okay.  He kissed your cheek and followed Maddie as she pulled him along with her.  Emily sat on the other side of him and they all started throwing out ideas of what to draw.  

You took this time to go see your dad who was sitting in a chair at the edge of the room. 

Standing behind him you leaned forward, wrapping your arms around his neck while planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Hi Daddy.”

“Hi, Petunia.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

“Sooo, I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow.  It’s Father’s Day and...”

He cut you, “We already talked about it.  You spent all day with me today.  Chris is here and you don’t get to see him very often.  Hell, who knows when the next time will be.  I want you to spend the day with him. You’re off the hook this year, okay?”

“Are you sure, Dad?”

He nodded.  “I haven't seen your face this happy since, well, I can't even remember when.  When you look at him your eyes light up.  You have this glow about you Nicole. There seems to be so much joy in you now.”

You smiled to yourself and looked at Chris across the room.  He was sitting with the two girls, thoroughly engrossed in drawing with them.

“Does he make you happy?” your Dad asked, his brow slightly furrowed.

“Yes. Very much so.”

“Is he good to you?”

“Yes, ” you paused, sighing a little while sinking down to hug your dad a little more, “Very much so.”

“Then he has my approval and my permission to keep you away tomorrow.”

You bent down to kiss his cheek.  “Thank you, Dad. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

He placed his hand over your arms, holding you to him.  “One day you'll be a parent and you'll understand. Seeing your child happy is the greatest gift you could receive.”

You were both quiet for a few moments, just watching Chris together.  On the outside he appeared strong, muscular, exuding confidence. But you knew that was just his exterior. Who he was at his core, was one of the softest, kindest, most thoughtful humans you had ever met. Not without his faults, but almost better because of them. 

“Do you love him?”

Taken aback by the questions you paused, unsure how to respond. Your heart leapt, wanting you to answer one way.  Your brain was telling it to pipe down, to take a Valium and be rational about things.  

“I don’t know. I feel like I could, but it's only been a month.  I don’t want to rush things,” then you let out a deep breath,  “Besides, it's been so long that I don't remember what falling in love feels like anymore.”

“Oh you'll know, and I’ve found it's a different feeling for each person.  I loved other women before I met your mom, but I never felt the same kind of love I felt when I met her. How long you've been together has nothing to do with it.  The heart and soul knows when they find their match.”

You had never heard your father speak like this before.  He wasn’t the kind of man that was very open about his feelings.

“Nic, have I ever told you that I fell in love with your mom and knew I would marry her our second date?”

“No!  Really?”

“It’s true.  I’ll never forget it.  I took her dancing and when I held her in my arms I knew right then and there that I could never live without her. This was the woman I was going to marry. Of course, I didn't tell her that.  I kept it myself for a while, but it was a done deal for me from that date forward.”

“I don’t think I ever heard that part of the story.”

“Well, now you have.  Now you know just how quickly things can happen.  Listen to your heart, it will always tell you the truth.”

You stayed there, hugging your father for a bit longer, not talking, just lost in your thoughts.  Chris looked up and caught you watching him.  He flashed you a smile, then raised his brow and slightly tilted his head towards the door, questioning if it was time to go.  You gave him a tight nod and returned the smile.  You felt a knot forming in your belly as nervous anticipation started to grow there, knowing it was from what tonight would bring.  

“I think we’re gonna get going.  I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”  You said, crouching down to give him a hug and a kiss.  

“Only if you get a chance, otherwise I can talk to you Monday.  Enjoy Chris tomorrow, he’s a good man, not at all what I expected when I heard you were dating an actor.  You’d never guess what he did for a living if you just met him.  I like that about him.”

"I like that about him too.  Talk to you soon, Daddy,” giving him one more kiss goodnight. 

Chris started getting up from his chair, telling the girls you would both be leaving and started to say his goodbyes to them as you joined him.  You gave Maddie and Emily hugs, and then you both worked the room from there.  Your mom gave him an extra long and tight hug.  She was over the moon about him already, you could see it in her face.  

You grabbed the containers of leftovers Sarah had packed for you and put them in a shopping bag.  Chris picked up the beach bag that was now by the front door and held the door open for you, letting you lead the way to the car.  

“Did you have a good time today?”  you asked as you walked down the driveway.

“I had a great time. Your family is just like mine, only not as loud!”  you both laughed, then got into the car and started the ride home.

“Seriously though, you have an amazing family.  So this is where you grew up?” he asked, motioning around the houses you were passing.

“Yep. We actually just turned onto my parent’s block.  I grew up in the fourth house on the left over there.”  You slowed down as you passed by, letting him have a look before pointing down the block again.

“Right up here is the elementary school I went to.”  You drove around for a little while, pointing out your other schools, favorite places to play, and friends houses growing up.  You told him some stories that had him smiling, the wonderful sound of his laughter filling the car.  Eventually you left your old neighborhood and started driving to your apartment.  

“Every Breath You Take” came on the radio and both of you were singing along to it.  You stopped and just listened to Chris for a bit.  “You have a really beautiful singing voice Chris, y’know that?”

He smiled proudly and began singing louder and slightly off key, “ _ Oh can’t you seeeee, you belong to meeee _ .”

“Why do I encourage you?” you said chuckling. 

When the song was over you decided to tease him a bit.  “I think that has to be the sexiest song ever written about stalking.  Not that you’d know anything about that of course.”

“It wasn’t stalking, it was research,” he said, sulking into his seat a bit.  He raised his finger up, pointing at you, “Don’t think you’re all innocent over there.  I saw your Tumblr! Remember?”

You feigned offense, “Excuse me but Tumblr isn’t stalking, it’s sexualizing.  Get it straight!”

He scoffed at you, “Whatevah! It wasn’t stalking is all I’m sayin.’”

When you were getting closer to your place, Chris began playing with your hand, doing that little thing he had done in Boston, where he picks up your fingers individually and drops them back down again against the console.  He then lifted your hand, bringing your wrist in front of his face.  You looked at him curiously, not sure what he was up to.  

“You know, I heard there are a few super secret, super sexy spots on the arm,” he said, closely examining yours as he stated this observation.

“Really?  I’ve never heard that.”

“Well, let’s test the theory. Hmm, how about if I start….here,”  he had your arm upside down, exposing the soft flesh of your wrist as he began to suck gently at the tender skin there.  He lightly drew circles over the veins with the tip of his tongue before sucking again, then moving his way slightly up your forearm.

The amount of heat between your legs that wrist kiss created was intense! It was like you had thrown on your seat warmers.  Who the fuck knew a wrist could be so erogenous?  He had worked his way up to your crook of your elbow and you were on fire, imagining where else that talented mouth would end up tonight.  He gently lowered your arm, leaning over in his seat to plant a line of soft kisses on your shoulder.  You took your eyes off the road for a moment to look at him, breath coming in heavy. Having teased you sufficiently, the little shit sat back into his seat with a self satisfied grin on his face.  All you could think about was how long this drive was taking.  

Finally arriving at your apartment, you threw the gear shift into park and got out the car quickly. Chris seemed surprised, apparently expecting to be kissed when you arrived.  You were having none of it.  There was no makeout session in the car tonight, not with your apartment and your bed right up the stairs.  The faster you got inside, the faster you could touch him all over, and that was all you wanted to do right now.  You had just taken the bags out of the backseat when he came around to you.

“In a bit of a rush are we?” he said, leaning against the car with his arms crossed and giving you a smile that was pure torture.

“You could say that,” was your response as you grabbed the bag of food with one hand and handed him the duffle.  Slamming the car door shut you looked at him for a moment, biting your lip as you smiled and challenged, “Race ya!” before taking off. You turned quickly away, almost running to get to the stairs. 

Chris was hot at your heels.

 


	23. Seeing Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole are finally alone and he shows her the night of passion that she's been long waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT WARNING, NSFW, 18+ Warnings: language, graphic sex (fingering, oral for both male and female, penetrative)

After fumbling with your keys due to the shaking of your hands, you finally managed to get the door to your apartment opened.  You stepped in, let Chris move past you, then kicked the door shut.  Setting the duffle down on the floor just inside the living room, he turned and reached out his hand to you, a seductive smile on his face. You made your way towards Chris, grabbing at his t-shirt as soon as you reached him and attacked his mouth hungrily, forcing him backwards against the wall.

Chris’ hand went straight for the back of your head, spinning you around and asserting control.  He let go of your hair, sliding the hand down your face and leaving a trail of hot kisses along the left side of your neck.  When his hand was near your mouth you grabbed him by the wrist, swiping your tongue up his palm until you got to his thumb, which you sucked greedily into your mouth.  You felt the vibration of the moan he made against your throat.  

You also heard the phone ring in your purse and pointedly ignored it. 

He removed the hand from your face and slid it down your chest, the other hand joining it as he squeezed your tits from the top before sliding them down your body to move behind you, taking a firm grip on your ass, and pulling you tight against his erection.  You heard the sound of a text coming in, just a minute after the voicemail indicator had gone off.  

His voice ragged and strained, Chris asked, “Do you need to get that?”  

You shook your head and continued kissing him, moving your hand down to palm him through the front of his shorts, relishing the feeling of his hard length in your hand.   The damn phone rang again.  Regular contacts each had a specific sound and you knew this particular one would not relent until you answered.  

Frustrated, you released him, dropping your head onto his chest as you grumbled, “Son of a Bitch!  She’s going to keep calling.  I’m sorry, I have to get this."

Mumbling the whole way to the purse on the table, you found yourself adjusting your bra and dress, as if they could be seen through the phone.  Just before answering you cursed out, “God damn cock blocking bitch!” then pressed the green button and switched to a voice dripping with sugar, “Oh hi, Mom!”

Chris lost his shit at the contrast in your voice and you could see him smacking his chest but keeping his laughter under wraps.  You motioned with your hand for him to keep quiet, putting a finger to your lips, eyes wide.  

He furrowed his brows, raised his hands, and mouthed back to you, “Fahckin Moms!”

Suppressing a laugh, but still feeling your shoulders shake with it, you attempted to catch up on what she was saying.  "What’s that?  You liked him?  I'm happy to hear it... yeah, you’re right. He is pretty amazing."  

You decided to repeat back your mother’s words for his benefit so he could hear what was going on. He was presently patting himself on the back then changed to blowing hot air onto his knuckles before rubbing them on his shirt.  

"I’m not out of breath. No, there’s nothing wrong,” you said before letting out a sigh, “I’m just putting away the leftovers.”  Picking up the bag you began taking the containers out, listening as your mom asked why you were only doing so now.  

“We went for a drive and I showed him the neighborhood.”   

Chris was leaning in the doorway to the kitchen, watching you with a bemused look.  It only flustered you more as you began putting the food into the fridge. 

“What?  No! Why would he be here?” you asked, before becoming flabbergasted and exclaiming, “Mom! For real? What kind of girl do you think I am?   I've only met the guy 3 (Chris was shaking his head, holding up 4 fingers) ok, 4 times.”  

He pushed himself off the doorframe, making his way into the kitchen.

He moved to the cabinet and drawers and started opening each one.  You smacked on the table lightly to get his attention, shrugging as you mouthed, “What are you doing?” 

He mouthed back, “Snooping!” before returning his attention to your cabinets.  

“Oh stop it mother! You would not have hit that!  And by the way, I'm telling Dad what you just said.”

Chris closed a cabinet door, holding his chest and laughing quietly.

“I took him to the Marriott on the highway.”  

Chris was giving you an exaggerated nod, scrunching his face while mouthing, “Oh sure you did.”

“No, it's not gonna cause a riot, would you stop!  I had him stay in the car while I went in and booked the room for him. No one knows he’s there, trust me.”   

He gave you a face with a raised eyebrow, mouthing, “Oh really?”

You watched as Chris continued his examination of your kitchen.  

“Well of course he’s paying me back!” 

Chris shook his head and mouthed, “No I’m not.”  You waved your hand at him dismissively.  

She asked another question and you were growing flustered, having to come up with another lie. You hated to deceive her, but you were far too deep into it now.

“He went in through a side door.  No one saw him, it’s fine!  Really!!”  

By now, Chris has made his way to your pantry where you kept the majority of your snacks and non-perishables.  

“Yes, he kissed me goodbye.  No! I'm not giving you the details!  Mom!! Fine, yeah, alright, he’s a fantastic kisser.”  

Chris turned away from the cabinet, tipping a pretend hat and taking a bow before continuing his rummaging. 

“I know right? How could he not be with those lips.”  

Chris looked your way making exaggerated kissy lips and you responded by kissing your finger and flipping him the bird.

“I wouldn’t know, but I'm sure he’s very well endowed.  He’s got huge feet and you know what they say about that.  Yep, I noticed his fingers, too.”  

You had to cover your mouth to stifle the laughter as you watched Chris suddenly double over and take a few steps forward, leaning on the kitchen table for support during his quiet fit of laughter.

“We didn't make any set plans for tomorrow.  What? No! I didn't scare him away! Would you stop  _ please _ ? What did you expect me to do, huh?  Jump his bones the second we left Ryan's house?”  

You looked towards Chris and he tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, mouthing, “You just did!”

He pushed himself off the table and went back to his kitchen raid.  Apparently he found something of interest because you heard him slowly and quietly say, “Oh. My. God!”  

His shoulders were shaking with laughter and he was gathering something in his hands.  You wanted to go see what it was but had to keep a distance so she wouldn’t hear him.  Besides, you couldn't really concentrate on what was going on with your mom giving you the third degree.  

“Mother!” you yelled in shock, “You would not have jumped him, give me a break.  What I love is how you've practically had a chastity belt on me my whole life.  Not only locked, but the god damn key thrown away!  Chris shows up and suddenly you’re all ‘Call the locksmith,’ and ‘Would somebody get the sawblade?"

Chris finally turned around and when you saw what he found you almost died.  Mouth agape, you watched as he carefully and methodically began placing the chocolate penis shaped pops the girls bought you in the Poconos along the table.  They still had their little signs attached that said things like:  “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand” and “Hard on the outside, creamy on the inside.”

You pulled the phone away from your face as he leaned in to whisper, “Why is it that everytime I go snooping in your apartment I find a bunch of dicks?  I think you need an intervention,” he added with a shake of his head, tsking you.  

Sticking your tongue out at him, you brought the phone back to your ear, struggling to catch up with what your mother was saying.  The things Chris was accusing you of, coupled with the slightly obscene suggestions you just heard in your ear, caused you to turn your humorous embarrassment towards your mother, “Well maybe it’s because, unlike you, I can show some restraint ya filthy whore!”  you teased her back, saying the worlds with a sarcastic giggle.  

Your family was very open and playful.  Being referred to as, “You little shit,” was considered a term of endearment.

Unwrapping a pecker, Chris brought it over to you, holding it out near your mouth while giving you a playful grin.  You opened your mouth to take it in as you listened to your mom speak, letting him slowly push it in and out.  You closed your mouth around it and sucked it hard before releasing it, earning a happy eyebrow raise from him. 

“Yeah, of course I know you’re teasing.  Listen, It's been a long day, I'm kinda beat.  I'm gonna hit the shower and then I promise I'll call Chris.  That is, if I haven't offended him, and he happens to take my call.”

She kept on talking, this as Chris tried the lollipop thing again, but you knew the call was coming to an end and there were other things you were eager to get into your mouth.  This time when he brought it to your lips you kept them closed.  When he poked your lips with it you swiftly bit the head off.  Chris was so surprised that he dropped the rest of the lollipop and brought his hands to his crotch, hopping from one leg to the other.  His face was hilarious as he was mouthing “Ouch” and grimacing at the thought.  

You chewed the sweet chocolate and swallowed before winding down your call.

“Yes, I will, I promise. What am I eating?  Nothing really, just having a quick late night bite,” you said, clicking your teeth together his way.  “Now please, Mom, don't call me later. If he's actually willing to speak to the girl that wouldn't let him sleep over I may be on the phone a while.  Ok, love you mom. No, love you more.  I'll talk to you tomorrow.”  

Pressing the end call button you turned your attention to the pain in the ass standing in front of you.  

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” you asked him incredulously, holding your arms out at your sides and pointing around the room.

“Am I out of my mind?  What the hell are you doing with a stash of 10 candy dicks in your pantry?” he asked as he sat down in a kitchen chair, laughter taking hold so hard he could no longer stand up. You pulled out a chair and sat across from him to explain.  

“The girls found them when we went to a candy store in the Poconos.  They thought it would be fun to torture me for being a born again virgin on the brink of annihilation.”

Picking up the notes that went along with the candy he raised each one up, reading them out loud until tears were rolling down his face. 

“I’m surprised I never shared the photos from that night with you. We did shots and took selfies with them,”  you were hysterical, recalling the details of that night in the room with your girls.

“You did naht!”

“We did, I still have the pics to prove it!”

“These I have to see,” he said as you swiped open your phone and pulled up the camera app.  He took it from your hand and began moving through the pictures from that weekend.

“Well, these are funny as hell, but not what I was hoping to see when you said you girls had been drinking.“

“Oh? Were you expecting us to be posing with the pops while wearing baby dolls and frilly panties? Maybe a few pillow fight pics?”

“Yeah, maybe.  Something like that would have been awesome to see.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but we weren’t able to take pics when we were dressed like that.”

“And why not?”

Shrugging, you stated, “Can’t tell you.  Confidentiality agreements.  What happens at the Poconos, stays at the Poconos.”

“Why you...” Chris started to say but never got to finish his sentence as he launched himself from the chair towards you, his tongue picking up where it left off before, battling with yours.  After a few minutes you gently pushed him away, standing up from your chair.

“Ok, so in a movie we would go straight to the bedroom and fuck like bunnies right now, but in real life we’re sweaty, we’re sunscreened and our skin smells like chlorine. I need a shower before you touch me any further.“

“Mind if I join you?” he asked, placing his hands on either side of your waist.  

He sensed your hesitation and quickly took your chin between his fingers, “Hey, hey, hey listen, I'm not looking to screw you in the shower.  Not tonight anyway.  Tonight is all about taking care of you. I want you to feel amazing. Because that’s what you are to me.”  

You had your eyes locked on his face, mesmerized and completely in disbelief at what you were hearing.  “How are you even real? I swear to God I'm gonna wake up one day and find this was all a dream. And then I’m gonna be sooo pissed!”

Chris chortled, taking your hand and placing it over his heart. You could feel it racing.

“You feel that? I’m real. Flesh and blood. And I want you Nicole.  I’ve wanted you so bad since I saw you in the airport this morning, that I think my balls are gonna explode if I don’t get to have you soon.”  He leaned in, giving you a soft kiss that made you want to melt.  But your insecurities were stronger than your desire at that moment.  

Looking away you realized, this was it.  You were about to become fully naked in front of a man for the first time in well over three years, and it wasn’t just any man.  It was this man with his perfect body.  This man who had dated Hollywood starlets and models for the past dozen years.

He ducked his head around to get in your line of sight, gently coaxing you to talk,  “Why do you look so nervous? Talk to me, tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Nothing, it’s just, it's been a long time.”

“I’ll be gentle.”

“I know you will,”  and deciding to just be open and honest with him, you let it out,  “Alright, so I’m also feeling totally insecure right now.  I have the internet!  I know who you've dated and I’m sooo not them. For Christ’s sake, I’m like 2 of them put together in some cases,” you added, becoming agitated.

Chris was having none of it.  His hands began flying all over the place as he tried, once again, to get his message across to you.  “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe that's part of what I like? What I’m looking for? The women I grew up with, the ones in my everyday life, they don't look like those girls.  I love that you have no qualms about eating a cheeseburger. You make food with mayo. You don't run screaming when you see ice cream. How you didn't worry about eating pizza. Hell, you ate steak and had dessert on our first date.”

Realizing you were still not convinced, he became louder. 

“And another thing! I'm not with any of them anymore, am I? I'm with you! So what the hell does that tell you?”

Rolling your eyes, you conceded, “That you sound like Dani and Jade.  When I admitted feeling like this to them in the Poconos that’s exactly what I heard back.”

“That’s because they’re smart women. Maybe you should listen to them more.”

You gave a light laugh, accepting defeat.  This was one battle you were actually happy to lose.  

Holding out his hand, he asked, “Now, would you please let me join you in the shower?  I’ve been waiting all day to properly get my hands on you.  And besides,” he paused, pretending to lower his shorts, “I’ve got this rash on my ass I was hoping you could look at...”  

Smacking his hand away, you barked out a laugh, “You are such a fucktard!  Now how could a girl possibly resist a line like that?” You placed your hand in his and let him lead you down the hall, where he proceeded to deliberately bump into you several times, just to make you laugh some more.

Once you entered the bathroom, you moved past Chris to get to the shower and turned the water to a temperature you were happy with.  Seconds later steam began to form, enveloping you both.   

Chris was close behind you, his breath making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.  He lowered his head to begin trailing hot, sucking kisses down your throat until he reached the strap of your dress.  His hands glided up your back until they reached the zipper at the top of your dress, slowly lowering it.  Pushing the straps off your shoulders he let the dress fall from your body, landing around your now bare feet. You were standing in your bra and panties, eyes closed, breath coming in shakily as the anticipation grew.  

His hands moved to your hair next, pulling the elastic tie out and letting your long locks fall to your shoulders.  Next, they moved to the closure at the back of your bra.  Fighting to keep your composure, you clenched your hands into tight fists.

Pausing, he checked in with you one more time and asked, “Are you sure about this Nicole? Because once I start, I don’t know that I’m gonna be able to stop.”  

A nod of your head and you sighing out a “Yes” were all that he needed to hear.

Unclasping your bra, he slid the straps off your shoulders, letting it join your dress on the floor. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t move to touch your breasts like you’d been expecting.  

Instead he brought his hands just under them, fanning his fingers out across your ribcage before proceeding to run his hands down your sides. Your chest was heaving, nipples hard and at attention, screaming to be touched.  Chris avoiding them was exquisite torture, but torture just the same.  When he reached your panties he hooked his fingers into them, sliding them down your legs until you could step out of them. Now completely naked, you slowly turned to face him.  

You reached out, pulling him hard against you, his arms encircling you in a tight embrace. Pushing your nipples against his chest you finally got the contact you wanted.  You dug your hands into his back, sliding one down to grip his ass as you moved to get his thigh between your legs.  

Chris kissed you so deeply in return that your entire body began to quiver.  One of his hands remained pressed between your shoulder blades but the other he let trail it’s way down to stroke over your back and finally your bare ass, pushing you even harder onto his leg. You were so aroused that you could feel the wetness between your legs, happy for once there were no panties to worry about.  

Your hands started reaching for the hem of his shirt but he let go of you to push them down, “Uh uh, I’ve got this.  I want you under the hot water. You’re covered in goosebumps.  I’ll join you in a second.”  

He held the curtain aside for you and you stepped into the stall, immediately letting the hot water warm your body.  Chris pulled his clothes off in a flash and was in front of you before you knew it, every glorious inch of that body on display and beginning to glisten from the shower spray. You took him in with your eyes, counting all the places you wanted to lick, but not able to decide what to touch first.

He was looking at you the same way, as if you were a buffet open for him to feast upon.  He pressed his finger against your forehead, tipping your head back so the water could soak your hair.  You held onto his sides after he picked up the bottle of shampoo from the ledge beside him and proceeded to lather and rinse your hair, massaging your scalp with his strong fingers.  He picked up your conditioner next, running it through, commenting on how lush your hair was.   You were enjoying the treatment so much that you were barely listening.  His fingers felt divine.  

After finishing with your hair, he reached around you to grab the bottle of body wash and added a generous squirt of it into his palm.  He motioned for you to turn around and you did, stepping forward a bit so he could get better access to the hot water.  

Chris moved in close behind you, and after rubbing his hands together, began to slide them up and down your arms and back. He dipped down and ran them over your legs, then began caressing your stomach, and finally, your breasts.  The lather helped his hands glide easily over your smooth skin and he squeezed the mounds together before pinching your nipples between his thumb and forefinger.  God it felt amazing! He knew exactly how to touch you.  His erection poked at you from behind and he reached for it, folding it up against his belly so he could press himself completely against your body.   

He continued playing with your breasts with one hand as he slid the other down your belly, using the soap to wash you front and back, nimble fingers working their magic and heightening your arousal.  No one had ever washed you down there before and it felt strangely erotic.   

Chris reached up for the hand held shower head and began washing off the soap. You were so aroused that the second the spray hit your clit you moaned from pleasure.  

“Oh, now I see how you’ve managed to hold off on men all these years.  Been in a relationship with Mr. Wand over here, haven’t you?” he teased, pulling the spray away and then moving in for a more direct hit that made you jerk against him.

You smiled, loving the fact that for the first time you had a lover who could be both sexy and playful at the same time.  

“Don’t knock it till you try it.  He’s got multiple positions, he’s powerful, and he's always hot and ready to go.  What more could a girl need?” you explained with a smile, playing along.

He brought his hand around, fingers working easily into your folds.  “He doesn’t have these,” Chris growled against your ear, wiggling his fingers briefly before stroking them up and down your slit, capturing your clit between them.  All the while he kept the shower head nearby, using it to enhance the feeling.  

His hand felt so good that you dropped your head back onto his shoulder, groans coming deep from your throat now.  You reached up a hand and wrapped it around his neck, turning his face towards you to allow your tongues to dance against each other as your hips swayed together.  

Chris broke the kiss and removed his hand from you, straightening you up so that he could hang the shower head back into place.  He quickly returned both hands to your body, one coming up to squeeze and knead your tit, the other sliding around to your rear.  Tensing slightly, you adjusting to the new sensation as he gently probed a finger against your opening.  You were so ready for him by this point that he found zero resistance. The tension left almost as soon as it came when waves of pleasure began to take hold, your eyes closing from it as he stroked you.   

Your breathing was growing ragged and instinctively you bent at the waist, your hand reaching out to brace yourself against the shower wall in front of you.  

As he worked his finger in and out of you, he kept fondling your breast, kneading it and playing with your nipple.  He added a second finger to your pussy and there was no way you could stay still.  You bent your knees and rode his hand for all you worth, using the wall for leverage to push back into him. Incoherent grunts were coming out of your throat.  

His cock kept poking you in the back and just knowing how close it was and how much you needed it was putting you over the edge.   

“How’s that feel?” he asked, his voice deep and husky.  

“It feels like you better stop soon. I don’t think I can hold out much longer.”

“Then don’t!  Let go, cum for me now!  

He worked his fingers in harder, faster, finger fucking you as you pushed yourself backwards to meet each thrust.  His other hand released your breast, coming around to rub quickly against your clit.

Within seconds an orgasm hit you so hard you saw stars.  You cried out his name, head collapsing forwards as your pussy clenched around his fingers, moans of ecstasy ripping from your throat.  

“You look so fucking sexy right now!” he growled out.

Your body movements slowed and he withdrew his fingers from you slowly.  When your legs stopped shaking you straightened and turned towards him.  Your hands went to his neck, holding it while you thrust your tongue into his mouth, battling against his. His hands slid under your armpits, lifting you up a bit and pressing your back against the wall of the shower, never breaking the kiss that was consuming you both.  When you tried to get a hold of his cock, figuring you needed to return the favor, he stopped you, folding his dick up against your belly then grasping your wrists and pinning them above your head.   

You broke the kiss and gave him a look, asking without words why he wouldn’t let you touch him.  His pupils were blown wide with lust, and the position he had you in right now was getting you hot again.  You wanted him inside you badly, even if it was only your mouth at this point.  

“Nicole, if I let you touch me right now I’m gonna end up exploding in this shower. In fact, I think I need you out of sight for a few minutes so I can calm down.

Releasing your hands, he opened the curtain and you reluctantly stepped out, taking a moment to drink in the view of him; water sluicing down the rippled muscles of his body, his hair spiky and messy, and that throbbing cock standing at attention and pointing at you.

You towel dried your hair and dried your body, putting some of the Jasmine Vanilla lotion on after.  

“I smell that!” you heard from inside the shower, making you smile.

Wrapping a towel around yourself, feeling suddenly modest, you decided to go ahead and broach a subject that had to be discussed. It probably should’ve been discussed before this morning but you’d just been putting it off, unsure how to ask.

Nervously, you called out, “Hey Chris? Um, I wanted to talk to you about something. Ah, shit this is awkward but, um, are you clean?”

Yelling over the water he answered with a laugh, “Clean? Well I just finished washing my balls. If you don't think I did a good job then I can let you handle them tomorrow!”

The laughter that racked you caused you to lean against the counter, face turning bright red. That was NOT the answer you had been expecting. The good thing is that you were now calm enough to really discuss things.

“I didn't mean clean in that way.  I meant, are you clean as far as any STD’s?”

“Hon, I’m just fahckin’ with ya.  I knew what you meant. You sounded so nervous, figured you'd relax if you laughed. But to answer your question...yes, I’m free and clear. How about you?”

“Clean as a whistle,” thinking a moment you added, “FYI, I won't have sex without a condom. Ever. It's the one thing I'm saving for marriage.”

You heard the water shut off and then he was pushing aside the curtain, standing there deliciously dripping, his cock sitting heavy between his legs.  You handed him a fresh towel and stood back a bit, giving him space to dry off.  He queried you as he moved it along his body. 

“So, I guess that means no going bare because you’re on birth control? 

“That’s exactly what it means, that and I’m not on the pill. I tried it once and wasn’t happy with it, and I want to save the other experience for when I get my Happily Ever After.”

“Exactly what experience is that?”

“Being able to feel him in me without a barrier, the soft skin, all the ridges that make him unique.  But mostly, I looking forward to knowing what’s it’s like to have a guy cum deep inside me without a condom.  I always figured that would feel amazing.”

You were saying this nonchalantly, lost in your thoughts and looking down instead of at him.  When you did finally lift your eyes it was to see the tent pole behind the towel.  Above that was a defined chest that was rising and falling rapidly, due to his erratic breathing.  Finally, reaching his face, you saw his eyes which were full of fire.

He stepped out of the shower and took big steps to the door, yanking it open.  Before he had a chance to do anything else you took his hand and nearly pulled him off his feet, leading the way to your bedroom.  

By the time you got to the doorway the mood had changed and you were both laughing like fools, all but charging the bed.  Along the way you slapped at the lightswitch on the wall and yanked down the covers, letting the towels drop to the floor as you jumped on the bed together, collapsing into each other’s arms. 

With a deep sigh you relaxed together for a moment, laying side by side and kissing softly, nudging each other with your noses.

“Hey,” he said quietly, eyes twinkling at you.

“Hey,” you answered back in a whisper, biting your lower lip as you smiled all the way up to your eyes.  

Was this really your life right now?  Were you actually about to make love to him?  You would never use that choice of words out loud to anyone, but in your heart you knew it was true.  This couldn't be called fucking.  This was more, and you were pretty sure from the way he was looking at you right now, that he knew it too. 

You pushed him flat onto his back and rolled over on top of him, straddling his waist as you brought your face close to his. He reached up to hold it with one hand, caressing your cheek, while he used his other to gather your still damp hair and place it over your left shoulder. You took a moment to just look into each other’s eyes again, a sweet smile coming across his lips that must have reflected your own. 

Chris met you halfway and you exchanged hot, sucking kisses before he gripped you under your armpits, lifting your body up until your breasts were close enough for his tongue to reach.  You braced your hands on the pillows on either side of his head as he squeezed your tits together,  then used his tongue to circle your nipple before sucking as much of you as he could get into his mouth. When he released it you felt his teeth graze your skin, causing you to suck in a quick breath.  He moved to the other breast and attacked with different motions, using the flick of his tongue that had made you go wild earlier today.  

His eyes never left your face; it was like he was studying the effects he was having on you, filing it for later use.  

You watched him work, gasping and whimpering with pleasure as he licked and swirled, sucking you in deep.  Feeling suddenly wanton and wild, you began rocking yourself along his stomach.  A familiar sensation was coiling in your belly and you knew you were going to cum again any minute if he kept it up.  Not knowing how many more you could handle tonight you sat up, pulling your chest away from him.   

Your hands were moving across his pecs, fingers making patterns through his chest hair. 

“Now I get a turn.  Let’s see what kinds of noises I can bring out of you.”

Raising your body, you got on all fours and decided to begin by fulfilling a fantasy you’d had for a long time.  Running your finger over his clavicle tattoo, you brought your mouth close and delicately licked your way across it, tracing the words there.  Your other hand was resting over his heart and you could feel it beating stronger as you went along.  

You kissed and sucked your way down to his pec, flicking your tongue over his nipples and nipping at his skin here and there, causing him to hum and moan.  Trailing your finger down his happy trail, you followed its progress with your mouth. Chris’ hand was planted in your hair, squeezing water from it that landed on his belly.  You licked it up, watching the skin prickle under the cool sensation.  

Planting a single kiss into the middle of the Bardsley tattoo, you proceeded to lustily attack the muscles of his abdomen, sliding your body down lower as your went.  You were careful to keep your ass high in the air.  If you got too close to his dick, which was now standing at attention, you knew you would impale yourself on it, and that was not the plan at the moment. 

You didn’t say this out loud, but in your mind you were kinda fangirling and all you could think about was how phenomenal his body was.  Every piece of him was carved like a statue thanks to the training for Infinity Wars.  The scene in The First Avenger when he is unveiled from the pod was pure porn for you and, while he was a bit smaller now, it was still your wet dream come true. You didn’t know what God to thank for giving you the chance to meet and fall for this man so you thanked every single one you could think of. 

You let your hands roam across his stomach, sides, letting your tongue glide over all the spots you’d only dreamed about.  The one place you were careful to not touch was his cock, which was standing so straight it looked like a rocket.  It was just as perfect as the rest of him, thick and long.  Sensitive veins bulging beneath the velvety skin and a mushroom tip so large it had stretched the limits of your mouth this morning. 

Chris was gripping the pillow behind his head, groaning with his eyes closed.  He slowly opened them now and was watching you, tracking your every movement. 

Deliberately, you began stroking your hand up one hip then the other, still avoiding his erection. He had been teasing the fuck out of you all day and you were going to make him suffer a little as payback.  Making sure you let your tits rub over his cock, you slid your body down between his legs, making them open up to you.  Once your lower body was resting on the bed, you began running your hands along the insides of his thighs, all the way to the base of his balls.  He lifted his head off the pillow, staring at you with a look that told you the teasing better be over soon. 

You licked your lips and looked down at his dick, a drop of pre-cum glistening from the tip.  Giving yourself about 10 seconds to build up saliva in your mouth you leaned over and gripped his hips before swallowing him down the the base in one shot. The saliva acted as a lubricant as you began sucking hard, deep throating him. 

He was losing his mind, both hands gripping your hair now, moaning and grunting “fahck” as you continued your assault.  After a minute, you released him from your mouth with a pop and grinned at him smugly. 

“You...give the most amazing blow jobs I have ever felt.  Holy shit, Nicole!” he exclaimed,  dropping his head back down onto the pillows, hands over his face.  

“I hope you don’t think I’m done yet,” you said innocently as you went back to pleasuring him, taking your time now.  

He was thrusting his hips up into your mouth and you laid down on the bed between his legs, affording you access to all of him.  One of your hands cupping and tugging at his balls, you used the other to stroke his shaft as you licked and sucked at him.  

After a few minutes, you heard him taking in air quickly, before he started saying, “Nic! Nic, stop! You need to stop, like, NOW!  I’m not cumming in your mouth again, not tonight!” 

You slowed then stopped, slurping your way up and off his dick, quietly proud of yourself, and crawled your way back to the pillows.  As soon as you got close he pounced on you, flipping you onto your back and laying down fully on you.  The benefit of not being a tiny girl was not feeling completely crushed when faced with the likes of that body on top of you.

“You...have a mouth and body built for sin, you know that?”

You just smiled, unsure what to say.  Besides, all you could think about right now was the fact that his dick was pressed against the top of your pussy. 

“Be happy my need to taste you right now outweighs my need for payback.  I can’t wait to bury my tongue in you.”  

And just like that...sploosh!  He was going to drown once he got down there. You grasped the back of his head, crashing your lips into his.  Automatically his hips started rocking, causing his erection to slide over your folds in the most delicious way.  You kept your legs together, forcing him to lay on top of them.  Unable to stop them, your hips were undulating, trying to gain friction from his hardness and the heaviness of his balls along your clit.

Chris attacked your neck, leaving scorching kisses down it and continued to do so as he made his way between your tits and your stomach. You had thought you’d be apprehensive when you got to this point because of your body insecurities, but instead, you felt like the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the world right now.   

His arms went under your thighs and he lifted one, opening you up to him as he moved back up your belly, planting kisses before moving back down to your mound.  

He paused a moment, looking up at you with a smoldering expression, inhaling your scent before ever so lightly brushing his tongue over your slit.  You fucking melted! Complete putty in his hands.  

He continued his lick you with his broad tongue in slow deliberate strokes, lapping you from bottom to top. You were squirming against him, hips already thrusting to get pressure where you wanted it most.  Chris gently licked over your clit before slightly blowing on it, teasing the everloving shit out of you.   

“Chris! Please!” you pleaded, your body writhing.  

You heard him give an amused grunt, “Not such a fan of the teasing when it's you, huh?” before giving in to your wish, throwing both of your legs over his shoulders and commencing to feast upon you fully.   Your head was thrashing from side to side; your heart beating out of your chest from the sheer magnitude of pleasure he was building up in you.  

His tongue was more talented that you had even hoped for and he left no inch of you untouched by it.  He brought his hands down to your pussy and after pushing his tongue inside of you a few times, replaced it with his finger as he went back to suck your clit.  You could only grunt and moan out sounds by this point, having been rendered completely incapable of speech. 

Your body was so ready for him that he was able to add a second finger almost immediately, scissoring them a bit to make sure you were stretched and ready when the time came.  He pushed them both deep inside of you, pulsing the tips, causing your body to jump, while continuing to drive you wild with his tongue. The rest of his fingers were resting beneath you, putting pressure against your ass, creating new and exciting sensations that were bringing you to the brink. 

“Chris! Holy shit, Chris I’m right there!”  you said, panting. Your hands were on your tits, squeezing and pinching your own nipples while he catered to your lower half. He doubled down on his efforts, using his free hand to grip your hip as he attacked your clit, sucking hard while stroking your g-spot.  

You exploded, a string of “OH MY GOD’S,” flying out you, hands now gripping the wrought iron headboard so hard you thought it would bend.  He continued his assault until you begged him to stop because your body kept jerking at his touch, the shock waves continually crashing over you.  

Chris released your thighs, getting up on his knees and wiping his face with a huge grin on it.  He was proud of himself and had every right to be.  That was mind blowing. You worked on getting your heart beat under control and breathing again as he came up and stretched out next to you, making you move onto your side so he could spoon you, cradling you to his body.

Your body was completely relaxed as he began stroking his way over your curves.  When you could speak again you told him how incredible he was; how you couldn’t remember the last time you came that hard, and most importantly, how much you loved it.  

Your words ended as he started sucking the back of your neck while cupping your breasts in his hands. His thumb rolled over your nipple, sending a shot of electricity straight to your pussy.  You could feel his erection poking you in the back as he ran his hand down your belly to your clit and the still swollen lips there, rubbing for a moment before sliding back up to knead your breast some more.   When he felt you responding, hips beginning to gyrate with his, he turned you over for a deep kiss. 

Your core was pulsating at this point so you broke the kiss you let him know you were ready,  “I need you inside me!  Now! Get the condoms, Chris! ”

Propping yourself up on your elbows, you almost laughed as he practically leapt from the bed, grabbing a strip of them, ripping one off and tossing the rest on the the nightstand.  You watched him tear open the foil packet and begin to roll it down his impressive length.  

He made his way back onto the bed and you immediately spread your legs, allowing him to seat himself between them.  You could feel the heat of his cock even through the condom, the delicious pulsing sensation it made against your already sensitive area, as he slowly and lovingly captured your mouth for a few more kisses.  He stopped and nuzzled against your neck before slowly running his nose up your throat to your chin, inhaling the scent of your lotion and your skin.  When you opened your eyes again it was to see his, looking down at you beneath those insanely long lashes with eyes full of warmth and tenderness this time.

There was no regret at all, as this moment was better than you ever could’ve imagined, and it was because of him.  Another man may not have cared, but Chris understood that this was special to you, and you loved him for it.  

You took control, reaching down and grasping the base of his penis, positioning it at your opening and slowly guiding him in.  He took over, slowly entering you until he was finally buried completely in your warm core.  The sounds of pleasure he was making were turning you on even more, and the feeling of fullness was indescribable. He remained still, letting you adjust to his size. 

His arms were braced on either side of your body and you could see the veins popping out on on his biceps and forearms, another one along his neck as he fought to keep control of his actions.  He looked down into your eyes. 

“Are you ok? Does it hurt?”

You couldn't help but laugh lightly,  “You know I’m not a virgin, it’s just been a while...”

“As tight as you are you’d never know.”

“Oh baby, you say the sweetest things,” you said, smiling at him and bringing your lips to his.  

He was still kissing you when he started to roll his hips, slowly and steadily thrusting into you, pulling out almost completely before slowly plunging back in.

You had forgotten how wonderful this felt.  Your head dropped back to the pillow as you exhaled deeply, “Oh God! You feel so good inside me.”

“It feels amazing for me too.  You’re so warm and… God! Fahck, do that again!”

You squeezed your muscles once more, gripping his dick.  All those years of kegels had apparently been worthwhile.

Bringing your legs up high on his hips, you crossed them against his lower back, shifting the angle a bit.  He was pushing against your clit with each pass and the new angle allowed him to penetrate you deeper.  It also gave you leverage to bring your own hips up to meet his thrusts.  Your hands were scratching trails into his back as you clung to him for dear life. The waves of pleasure beginning to intensify as he rocked into you a little faster. 

“Are you close Nic?” he asked, panting out the words, his eyes squeezed shut, trying to hold himself back.   

“I could go any second,” you whispered, hands coming up to grip his sides so you could pull him tight to you.  

“Me too!” he said, moving his arms down to grasp your thighs and press them up, almost bending your in half.  

The new angle set you off and brought you to the brink, “Oh my God. Chris, I’m right there!  Harder! Fuck me harder right now!”

There was no second guessing on his side this time, he pummeled your pussy and within seconds you climaxed; a sound you’d never made before coming out from deep within your throat.  A few moments later he followed, cumming so hard you felt the heat and force of it as he shot his seed into the condom.  He captured your mouth, smothering the sounds you were both making as he continued his movements, then began slowing them down. 

Neither of you could move for several minutes, neither of you even tried. Once he softened, he pulled out, then sat up on the bed.  You were shaking a little and you could feel his muscles trembling as well.  Eventually he got up and pulled the condom off, tying the top in a knot and making his way to the bathroom.  You followed on wobbly legs shortly after to clean up.  Chris returned to the bedroom first and when you came back, you collapsed against him, sated and exhausted.  

Chris laid down on his back, holding his arm out so you could get against him.  You pulled the blankets up and wrapped them around your naked bodies, placing your head in the nook of his shoulder.  

“Do you realize you gave me 4 orgasms in one day?”

“Hmmm. Now that you mention it, I guess I did.  Not bad for your first time back on the track.”

“Not bad?  I think I died and went to heaven,” you chuckled.

“Let’s see if we can top it tomorrow.”

"You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” you replied with a laugh.  

Chris laughed, but you could tell he was tired.  He reached over to turn off the light on the nightstand.  

The ceiling was covered with constellations! You gasped, unsure of how this was happening.  Lifting your head, you spotted the source.  The nightlight you had sent to Chris for his birthday was plugged into your outlet, right above the box from Dani.

You looked at him for an explanation and he just shrugged. 

“I can’t sleep without it now.  When you thought I was snooping in here today I was actually trying to find an outlet to plug that into.  This one’s yours.  I loved mine so much I thought maybe it would be a good thing for us to have together.  No matter where we are, or what the weather is like, we can both be looking up and seeing the same sky.”

You were chewing your lip, absorbing his words as you looked around.  Shyly you brought your gaze back to him,  “This reminds me of our first date.  When we sat in the park on the bench, looking at the stars.”

He reached up, running his thumb over your cheek, “Nicole, going out with you that night was one of the most amazing dates of my life,” he answered with such sincerity it made your heart skip a beat.

You wiped the tear that made its way down your face.  He truly was the most romantic man you had ever met. You were just about to lay back down when you spotted a glow on your nightstand. 

“What the heck is that?  Did you bring another surprise for me?” you asked, a little confused, surprised, and certainly curious.

“What’s what?” following your gaze.  “I didn’t bring anything else. I don’t know what the hell it is,” he reached his arm over to grab the object. 

You both started laughing hard when you realized what it was.

“Glow in the dark condoms?  Really Nic?”

“Hey! I had nothing to do with the contents of that box.  But I can guarantee you Jade contacted Dani before it was sent because I remember her suggesting them.  She had a list of reasons why they would be perfect for us,” you explained as you snuggled down into his shoulder again.  

“From what you’ve told me about Jade and her sarcastic sense of humor, I know that list has to be good.  Lay it on me, why did she want these.”

“Hmm, let’s see.  Off the top of my head I remember: ‘Side effects of the serum’ and ‘You can find it in the dark and jump on it.’ She seemed to be under the impression that Cap would have something glowing after his serum, so why not his cock?  The fact that you aren’t actually Cap didn’t matter, she was on a roll!” You explained, chuckling at the memory.  

“You have very good friends.”

“That I do.  I have a lot of good things in my life,” you said, placing a gentle kiss on his lips when he turned his face towards yours, “And I thank my lucky stars every day that you’re one of them, Chris.”

He moved you and sat up straight in the bed, one hand on his hip, the other braced on the bed.  Frowning, he asked softly, “Are you sure you don’t have anymore dicks around?  Maybe in the jewelry box or a sewing kit?  Tucked away in the Monopoly game? Hidden under the couch cushions?”

Pulling him back down, you reclaimed your comfy spot.  “I’ll never give up my secrets.  But for now the only dick I care about is the one right here,” you confessed, resting your hand over it. 

Your eyes were growing heavy.  The combination of the early morning, stress of the confessions, being outdoors all day, and multiple orgasms had left you at the brink of exhaustion.  Apparently, it had taken a toll on Chris as well because in a matter of minutes you heard him snoring softly.  You nuzzled your body into his, moving your arm up to drape across his stomach.  You felt his hand move to your back, stroking it gently. He was taking care of you even while asleep.  

Tomorrow was going to be the first time you had an entire day alone together and you were more than ready for it.  He had quickly become one of your best friends, so hanging out together was going to be a blast.  Now that sex was on the table, you found yourself thinking about actually having sex on the table.  Then you began drifting off to sleep beneath the stars you could now share every night, no matter where you were...     

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspiration music for this chapter was Love on the Brain by Rhianna


	24. Hooked On A Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now for something completely different....

“Are you nervous Nicole?”

“Not at all. This is my dream come true!”  

A small smile played upon your lips as you answered honestly, “I always thought I would be but, no.  I feel like my whole life has been leading up to this moment.  I’m exactly where I need to be.” 

Your father gave your arm a quick squeeze and you took your first steps towards the new chapter of your story. 

As soon as you turned around the corner a harpist began playing “A Whole New World,” and you both made your way to the center aisle.  You walked past family and friends that you loved, but you only had eyes for the man waiting at the altar.  He was watching you with a smile so big his cheeks were going to hurt later.  

The way Chris looked took your breath away!  He was indescribably sexy, bearded, and wearing his stealth blue Captain America suit. He wasn't wearing his helmet or holding the shield but you spotted them sitting on a nearby chair.

Now standing in front of Chris, your dad pushed your veil up and gave you a kiss.  He then turned to your soon-to-be groom and they shook hands as your father instructed, “Take good care of my little girl,” before Chris sincerely said, “Always.”  

Chris took your hand and you looked into each other's eyes, which were both glistening with tears.  Taking a couple of steps up to the the platform, you found yourselves standing in front of the officiant, Robert Downey Jr. 

If there were any nerves they took a hike immediately once Robert turned his signature smirk towards the two of you.  Holding his hands up and out he began the ceremony with, “Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today.  Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam.  And wove, twue wove wiww fowwow you fowevah and evah…So tweasuwe youw wove…”

Wow! It was just like a scene out of a movie! In no time you exchanged vows with Chris, then Robert cupped a hand to his mouth and hollered, “Are the rings ready?”  

A bark came from the back of the rows of seats. 

Once he got his confirmation he bellowed, “Under-Roos!”  

Tom Holland appeared in his Spider-Man suit, with his mask off, and was holding a leash as he walked Dodger, who was all decked in a little tuxedo and wearing a tiny top hat.  When they reached your side, Chris bent down to pull the wedding rings from the small pocket on Dodger’s back, giving his buddy a quick scratch on the head.  

“I may kiss the bride!” Downey joked as he began leaning towards you, but was interrupted when your new husband stepped forward. 

“Back off Tin Man! She’s officially Team Cap now!”  He wrapped his arms around you, dramatically dipping you down low, before kissing you to the cacophony of applause in the room. 

You turned to hand your bouquet off to Jade, only to find her furiously making out with Michael Fassbender! She had told you she was pregnant with his love child, but from the looks of that belly it was more like 3 of them in there.  

“Jade!  For Christ’s sake! Get a room you two!” you chastised smacking them both with the bouquet, petals flying in all directions.  

Instead,  _ you _ were the one suddenly in a room, or more precisely, a bridal suite.  Looking at Chris in his uniform filled you a surge of lust and you lunged at him. Grabbing a hold of the leather holsters around his shoulders, you pushed him against the wall, running your hands all over the sexy blue suit as your tongues battled each other.  His hands held your face, slowing the kissing down.  As you backed away his hand rolled over the bracelet on your wrist.  

“Are those your Grandma’s pearls?”  After you nodded, he cocked his eyebrow, giving you a naughty smirk, “I can give you a pearl necklace to match if you’d like.”  

“No way Jose!  You have to keep saving it up.  Remember, you promised me I’d get to feel Happily Ever After tonight! Gotta save those babymakers up!” you reminded him, poking a finger into his hard chest.  “Besides, I don't want to risk ruining my dress.” 

“That I did. Okay, okay,” he conceded. He brightened for a moment and asked, “Hey, where did that gift come from?”  

Looking over your shoulder you spotted a large bag with Eiffel Towers all over it.  

“Chris! Look at all the large erections!”  You happily told him, walking over to it, yanking the gift tissue off the top.  

“Cookies!” Chris cheered. He quickly grabbed a few of the gingerbread treats and was about to put one in his mouth before noticing they were penis shaped.  “What the fuck are these?” 

Looking at the note attached, you read, “Mint Chocolate Chip, for that cooling sensation. Enjoy!  With Love, Jade and Fassie.  Aww, guess they figure it’ll add to the blowjob later.  Hey, did you know Fassie baked the penis cookies for my bridal shower last month? True story.”

“Interesting.  Let me see what else is in the bag.” He reached in and then began groaning, “Oh cahmon! Like you didn’t get enough of  _ these _ already!” 

A collection of assorted dildo’s, vibes, bullets, and beads came into view from the basket he was pulling out.  You barked out a laugh, reading the note out loud,  “Your backup plan, just in case you wear Chris out on your honeymoon.  Have fun guys!  Love Dani & Sebastian.”

“They’re all really the best friends ever,” you mused, clutching your hand to your heart.  

Downstairs now, the party was in full swing.  Everyone cheered as you and Chris made your way into the crowd, dancing your first dance to Queen’s, “Another One Bites the Dust.”   

Cap’s shield was making it’s way towards you and it was hiding someone behind it. When it got close your girl crush, Hayley Atwell, popped out from behind it and she and Chris hilariously lip synched the chorus of the song. 

You took his hand and made your way to the photo prop booth then opened the curtain.  

“Dani! Dear Lord guys, get a room!”  you yelled, shaking your head and fist at her and Sebastian, who were making out in there. “What is it with you people tonight?!” you wondered, shaking your head.

Seb had a fluffy purple boa wrapped around his neck and wore giant top hat on his head.  Dani was wearing a tiara, with its huge diamonds just a little smaller than the one on her finger.  Seb gave you a crooked grin, licking his lips as he pulled her behind him. They darted out of the booth and you and Chris entered to take some hammy shots.  

The lightbulb flashed and you were outside. 

Right in front of you was a beautiful old farmhouse.  That was also when you took note of Lisa Evans and Chadwick Boseman wearing cowboy hats and riding on small ponies.  His feet practically dragged on the ground.  Then suddenly the sky lit up with fireworks and the ponies took off, comically bounding away with the two riders on their backs. 

Rocket, who was adorably dressed in a powder blue suit with a ruffled shirt, began jumping around excitedly and shouting, “Yesss! That was EPIC!!  Did you see those ponies hauling ass with that huge guy on top!  Not so graceful for a Panther now is he?”  He fell backwards to the ground, holding his belly to try and contain his laughter.  

Back inside, you found yourself plunged into darkness at the edge of the dance floor. The wood beamed ceiling lit up with Christmas lights that twinkled like stars.  A white spotlight illuminated you, before another one lit up Chris who was across the room.  He was wearing a black tuxedo, complete with coattails, and was sitting at a white baby grand piano.  

All around you came chants of “Ooga-Chaka, Ooga-Ooga, Ooga-Chaka, Ooga-Ooga.”  Chris began singing as you made your way to the piano, practically gliding on air.

“ _ I can’t stop this feeling.  Deep inside of me. Girl, you just don’t realize what you do to me. _ ”  

As you reached him he stood up and began running his hands along your sides.  Your arms wrapped around his neck and you joined him in singing, “ _ When you hold me, in your arms so tight.  You let me know, everything’s alright. _ ”

Where the hell did the piano go?  Or Chris for that matter.  You were alone, and standing at the edge of the dance floor.  Ahead of you was Chris Pratt, dressed like Star Lord, slowly rising up with a face that you instinctively knew was trouble.  The Avengers, in their full uniforms, were all seated before him, slowly eating shawarma.

Pratt threw his head back and wailed, “I-I-I-I-I’m hooked on a feeling,” before loudly banging on a cowbell and pushing his seat back and out the way.  He wiggled his hips and began to move towards some other guests.

He was pulling people up, leading a conga line while playing the cowbell like the Pied Piper as the song blared in the room.  Baby Groot was dancing away in the center of a table, his little flowerpot swerving from side to side. 

Bruce Banner yelled out, “Wait for me!  I’ll bring my glockenspiel!”   

“We need more cowbell!!” You yelled across to Pratt, earning a huge grin and nod from him. 

A smile came across your face when you spotted Agent Coulson join in the line. He was one of the greats.  But if he was here, where was…?

Turning your view to the right you spotted them.  Scrunching your nose in confusion, you croaked out, “Mom?  What are you doing?”  

Shoving a rose into her partner’s mouth she whipped her head towards you, “Isn’t it obvious Nicole?  I’m doing the Tango!  He truly is one smooth assed Mother Fucker!”  She whipped her head back, taking the rose from Nick Fury’s mouth before he pointed their hands and led her in a promenade away from you.  

A hand appeared on your shoulder and you saw that it was Anthony Mackie.  All you could do was helplessly point your hand towards your mom and Fury.

“Your momma’s got some moves, girl!  Let’s see if you inherited any skills from her!”  Before you could answer you found yourself spun around and dancing the Hustle.  

Then the conga line arrived and was now over 100 strong from what you could make out.  Not too shabby, Pratt, Pratt, Pratt.

From out of nowhere, Chris came running past and taunted Mackie, “On your left!” 

“Oh no you didn’t!  Get back here Rogers!” he yelled, before leaving to chase Chris down and leaving you stranded on the dance floor.  

Incredulously, you turned your head to watch as they took off and exclaimed, “Son of a Bitch! Am I ever gonna finish a dance tonight?!” 

Pleading your case to Drax proved useless. He was sitting completely straight and unmoving, just staring at you in bewilderment that you would even ask such a question. You threw your hands up in defeat, “Well, you’re no help.”

“My lady?” you heard, as Thor appeared at your side.  His ethereal face was an odd combination of humble and smug. He was holding a large envelope in one hand and a box about 10 inches long in the other.  

“I’m so happy you came! I  _ love  _ your hair!”

He blushed a bit, “Thank you, I’m growing it out.” 

“Well it suits you.”

He proceeded to had you the envelope, “This is for you,” he said in a smooth and breathtaking voice.

“For me?” you asked, delighted to be receiving a gift from the God.  

You opened the envelope first, pulling it out just as Chris returned to your side, reading over your shoulder,  “ _This is your_ _FREE PASS.  Feel free to use me anytime you need to feel some thunder down under.”_

“Oh, Thor! I love it, thank you so much!  Hmm, I wonder what’s in the box?”  

Chris grabbed it out of your reach before you could clutch it and proceeded to rip it open, not amused with the content. 

“Are you out of your mind?” He asked his friend, then turning to you and wagging his finger, “What did we talk about.  NO THOR!  For Christ’s Sake, Nic! It’s our wedding night!”

“Shit, that’s right,” you nodded in agreement.  Turning to Thor you leapt up to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, telling him you’d hold onto his gift for another night.  He held you so high off the ground your feet dangled.

Behind you Evans was warning, “No you won’t!”

When you returned to the floor, your husband was gone again.  You dropped your head into your hands, giving it a little shake, then you saw the floor lighting up in squares of different colors.  The unmistakable sounds of the Bee Gee’s filled the air with, “You Should Be Dancing,” and you turned slowly to see Jeremy Renner in a white suit, strutting his way towards the dance floor.  

Each pelvic thrust he made was accentuated by the pull of a fake bow and arrow.  He was good! Wow, Russian splits?  Impressive. Who knew he could move like that?  

A bouquet of lavender roses and white violets appeared in your hand, so with a shrug of your shoulders you yelled out, “Yippee!” and your tossed it over your head behind you. 

Turning to see where it landed you spotted Octavia Spencer quickly moving through the crowd like a linebacker.  She dove through the air, reaching out to grasp the bouquet.  Landing on her feet she began jumping up and down declaring, “I won! I won!”  

You were giddy with excitement for her and began clapping your hands and whooping.

A chair was abruptly shoved under your ass and Scott was behind you, his hands on your shoulders to keep you in place. 

“Are you ready, sweetheart? Because he is,” he sing songed. 

In front of you was Chris, now back in his suit pants and white button-down shirt.  The top few buttons were undone, and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.  The look on his face was the sexiest one you had ever seen.  He crouched over, snapping his fingers and skulking his way over to you.  It reminded you so much of West Side Story. 

When he got near you, he suddenly dived down and came up under your skirt, causing you to emit a yelp of surprise.  His hands spread your legs and you gave a yelp of a different sort when he nipped the inside of your thigh.  He brought his face close to your mound for a moment, then ran his tongue down your thigh until he reached your blue garter.  Chris grabbed a hold of it with his teeth and slowly dragged it down, his hands sliding down your leg above his head.  

Finally reaching your foot, he removed your glass slipper and pulled the garter the rest of the way off. On bended knee, he allowed you to place your foot back inside, then proceeded to stand up and wave the piece of fabric around.  

Tossing it over his head behind him, he spun around in time to see everyone hit the deck.  

Standing alone was Tom Brady. He was holding the garter up like the Statue of Liberty with her flame.  

Chris began excitedly jumping up and down and wildly calling out,  “You came, you really came!”   

Dodger in his little tux was happily jumping around barking at his daddy’s excitement. 

Scott finally let you up from the chair and you ran to your new husband, eager to join in his happiness.  Once you reached him he lifted you up in the air, spinning you around before bringing you down for a passionate kiss. 

All around you was the sound the glasses being clinked and a chorus of “Ooohs” and “Aaahs.”  

A delicious smell reached your nose and you broke the kiss to search for it’s source.  There it was!  The kids were all by the Viennese table.  Maddie and Stella were at the chocolate fountain, mouths open and drinking from it.  Their faces were a mess, but luckily their dresses were still pristine.  Chris’ nephew Ethan had his head buried in a giant vat of ice cream, while Miles and Alex were sword fighting with large sticks of cotton candy.  Baby Becca was double fisting cannoli’s and her face was covered in cream. 

A wedding cake appeared behind you, and it was gorgeous!  8 square tiers filled with cannoli cream and creme brulee.  The topper was Mickey and Minnie Mouse kissing.  “That’s Amore” began to play and all of the guests joined you both in singing along.  

Chris cut a piece and delicately fed it to you,  “See? I listen.  No more shoving cake in your face, my love.” 

He swiped a piece of frosting and “Booped” you on the nose with it, smiling broadly.

“Sucks for you that I never made the same promise.”  

Picking up a large pie from the table you hurled it at him, getting Chris right in the face.  It fell off with a splat and he wiped it away from his eyes.  The look on them was playful, yet tinged with a touch of murder.  

You quickly armed yourself another pie when he picked one up. 

“Food fight!” you shouted, and the pies started flying.  Chris nailed you with a great shot, then came over to take you in his arms, wrapping you in up in a bear hug.  It was a tiny island of tranquility in a room full of chaos.

“I’m so happy I met you.  I’m even more happy to spend the rest of my life with you,” he said, bending down to lick a piece of frosting from your lip.  

“I can’t imagine my life with you in it, meatball.”  

You wrapped your arms around his neck and stood there kissing, while pies were flying all around you, your dress remaining unscathed.  Scott popped up and tapped Chris on the shoulder, then proceeded to get you both in the face with Boston Creme pies.  You began to laugh hysterically, watching him run away with his arms flailing as Chris chased after him.  

The laughter from the dream carried forth into reality as you woke up abruptly, the sound of it filling the room.  Blinking awake, you saw Chris leaning on his side, and watching you with a smile that was crinkling his eyes.  Your hand quickly flew to your mouth to cover it. 

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry Chris, did I wake you?”  

He pursed his lips together, rolling his eyes upwards a bit, when he admitted, “Maybe.  I must say you put on quite the show when you sleep.  I had no idea you were such a talker.”

Shit! Shit! Shit!  Bits and pieces of the dream were pinging around your mind now and you prayed that you hadn’t said anything about it that would let him know what exactly you were dreaming about.

“Yeah, that’s been a problem of mine for a loooong time.  Um, what, um, exactly did I say?  I don’t really recall much about the dream.”  

That was utter bullshit, your dreams, just like your imagination, were vivid.  You recalled quite a lot of it actually.  It made your heart race.  

“You mainly mumbled, I heard my name which is why I woke up.  I thought you were calling for me, but then I realized you were still asleep.  You had the most beautiful smile on your face. I didn’t want to wake you.  Instead I decided to listen and see if you had anything else to say.”

“And did I?” you asked, apprehensively.  

“Yes, just a word here and there.  You hummed a few times.  I could’ve sworn I heard you use the word “Thor” but I can’t imagine why you would be dreaming about him when I’m in your bed.” 

Turning your eyes away you remembered the scene from your dream, but decided to deny everything, “Probably not. Why would I be saying anything about Thor? That would just be weird.”

Chris lowered himself and rested his head beside yours.  “I thought I heard a few other things, but I’m gonna keep those to myself for now.”

Quickly rising up, you half turned and faced him.  Worried out of your mind, you poked a finger  into his chest and menacingly said, “Spill it, Evans.  What do you think you heard?”  

That was when you realized that you were naked as the day you were born and grabbed up a piece of the bedsheet to cover yourself.  Chris just smiled at you, not commenting verbally, but shaking his head in disbelief at your sudden shyness.  

He teased you by singing, “I’ll never tell.”

“Do I need to break out the rack?”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!”  You tried to say with the same accent as the actor from Monty Python, but were laughing so hard you were practically wheezing. Chris fell backwards and cracked up.  

Wiping at his eyes, he sighed deeply before conceding, “Fine.  I’ll tell you,” and with an exaggerated sigh began, “Do you know the muffin man?”

“The muffin man?” you played along, a smile emerging. 

“Yes, the muffin man.”

“Yes, I know the muffin man. W-who lives on Drury lane?”

“Well, she’s married to the muffin man.”

“The muffin man?!”

Chris then jokingly cried out, hand balled in a fist, “THE MUFFIN MAN!”

Burying your head in your hands you groaned, “You are SUCH an ASS!”

“Well, technically, it’s a donkey…”

“Fuck! I walked right into that one didn’t I?” you admitted, laughing loudly.

“A little bit.  Just a little bit,”  he agreed, rolling onto your pillow.  He was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes, the same as you.  

“So, seriously, what did I say? I don’t remember much, maybe it will help me piece things together.” 

It was worth a shot, maybe you could trick him into revealing his hand.

“Not gonna happen like that sweetheart.  Quid Pro Quo.”

“I’m listening.”  

Oh fuuuuuck! Suddenly you were frantically coming up with ideas to use as a cover, depending upon what he threw your way. 

“I tell you something I heard, in return for a favor.  The bigger the detail, the bigger the payoff.”  Rubbing his hands together quickly he continued, “Now, let’s figure out our terms, shall we?”

You were getting a bit nervous now. Just what in the hell  _ did _ he hear? 

“I’ll give you a word or clue.  In return, you’ll have to grant me my wish and you have to tell me what you remember about it.”

“I don’t know how much help I’ll be, things are already starting to get blurry.  And just what sort of ‘Wishes’ are we talking about here, huh?”

His hand slid down your body, beginning to play with you.  All of sudden you realized that nature was not only calling, but screaming at you!  Brushing his hand away you began chanting,  “No, no no. Can't do that yet. Just realized I need to pee like a racehorse! Be right back!”  

With a quick peck to his lips you took off, leaping out of the bed and racing to the bathroom.

While you were in there the dream was replaying itself through your mind.  Your imagination had brought forth a doozy last night, but there were so many wonderful parts that you were desperately trying to recall them all, wanting to burn them into your memory before they blew away on the wind.  

One thing you knew for sure, the main point your subconscious was trying to hammer home was that you had helplessly, hopelessly, fallen head over heels for him.  There was no denying it, no more brain trying to fool itself.  The heart had won.  Now the hard part would be tamping down that fact while he was here, because there was NO WAY you were going to admit this to him after such a short time. 

You checked yourself out in the mirror while washing your hands.  Realizing your wavy hair had gone haywire from the frolocking about last night, then falling asleep it with damp, you gathered it up into a ponytail.  Giving your face a quick splash, and your mouth a quick rinse, you made your way back to your warm bed. And of course, the wonderful warm body waiting for you in it.  

Climbing back under the covers on your side, you snuggled in close.  “Now where were we?” you quizzed him, planting a small kiss on his nose.  

“Information and wishes.  The bigger the detail, the bigger the wish you have to grant to get it.  I’ve got quite a few, so I’ll dole them out during the day.  Ya know, to keep you on your toes.”

“There’s no way I talked that much.”  

Even as you said it you knew there was totally a way.  You’d heard stories from Dani and others.  It was a problem at times of stress or anxiety.  You were relaxed when you fell asleep last night, but you knew your mind was racing anyway.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out.  Now, first detail! The word ‘Cowbell.’  What was that about?”  

Quick, think quick, think quick, there's was no way to explain Pratt without having to give more details than you were comfortable with. “Oh, um, I think I remember being at a farm with the kids. I remember being in front of some barn.  Could’ve come from there.”

“Uh huh.  I don’t know that I buy that, but it’s a start.  Now for my favor.”

Chris’ hand slipped down your body again, lifting your leg up to hook it over his hip as you faced each other.  His fingers slid up your thigh, beginning to stroke you.  Moving your own hand down his hard abs, you slipped your hand around his hardening cock, gently caressing it as your hand moved along his shaft.  

Biting your lip, you gave him a sexy smile.  “You know, the word “Cowbell” makes me think of cowboys, which makes me think of riding.  Which makes me realize how much I would love to ride you.”

His pupils grew dark as desire took hold.  He increased the pace of his fingers, making you close your eyes and breathe deep from the sensation he was causing.  

You unhooked your leg from his hip, mouthing “Condom” to him.  He rolled over, ripping one off the strip on the bedside table.  Still laying in bed, he rolled it on himself.  You grabbed a few pillows and used them to prop him up a bit, showing him to lay on top of them.  While you were putting them in position you felt a playful smack on your ass. Giving him the side eye, you saw the naughty expression on his face as he added, “Giddy-up!”  

That face could be completely irresistible. Suddenly the heat between your legs intensified.

Straddling his hips, you pushed his cock down flat against his belly, sliding yourself over the length of it several times, getting yourself eager to feel him in you.  Lifting your hips a bit, you grabbed hold of him at the base and lined him up with your entrance. Locking eyes with Chris, you sank yourself down onto him, letting him enter you inch by delicious inch.  

What you thought was deep last night was nothing compared to what he felt like as you finally got him seated fully inside you.  Sitting straight up, you took a moment to relish the feel. You could feel him pulse inside you and you clenched him back in response. It caused Chris to drop his head back and close his eyes.  

You rolled your hips, trying to remember the moves; to get your groove back so speak, then braced your hands on his chest and used him for leverage to rock yourself on his stiff cock.  He opened his eyes and the lust you saw in them drew you forward to capture his mouth for a deep, sucking kiss.  The angle he was propped at allowed you to lay down fully upon him while continuing to ride him slowly.

Hands glided their way across your face, your arms, your back, before finally resting upon the globes of your ass, grasping them firmly.  He used the hold to keep your hips in place as he thrusted up into you, bringing forth powerful moans of pure pleasure.  

You straightened and reached for his hands, entwining your fingers as you relished the feeling of having him inside you, strong, hard, yours.  At this moment there was nothing else in the world beyond your bodies. 

Knowing that you were on the brink you leaned backwards, bracing your hands on his thighs behind you.  The new angle made you gasp as you pushed yourself down on him as hard as you could, Chris slamming up against you at the same time. He moved one hand to grip you by the hip, and moved other around so he use his fingers to work your clit, hard and fast. You were losing your mind, overwhelmed by the feeling of him right now.  

One more hard slam did it. You called out his name, and with your tits bouncing he gripped both your hips to thrust quicker as he came wth you.  You collapsed against him, breathing ragged.  He wasn’t doing much better.  You gave it a minute then climbed off of him, stretching out alongside his body, head resting on his chest.  

He was the first to speak, blowing out a hard breath first, “Holy fahck, Nicole! I need to sleep over more often if it means I’ll get that in exchange for information.”

“Oh, no honey, that wasn’t for information.  I’ve been wanting to ride you since the moment I met you.  Just finally got around to it.”

His hand clasped at his pec, right beside your face, as he laughed.  This was already shaping up to be one hell of a day.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Muffin Man skit is from Shrek, one of my favorite parts of the movie =)


	25. Afternoon Delight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole spend the first half of Sunday enjoying some fun and sexy times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: NSFW 18+ Graphic Sex (oral, fingering, penetrative vaginal) language and mention of alcohol.

There had been some discussion yesterday about maybe taking a drive to pick strawberries or hit the lavender farm since they were in bloom, but hearing the sound of rain bouncing off your bedroom window helped seal the deal.  All you both wanted now was a lazy Sunday. The first since you’d met.  You didn't want to share him with anyone today and your only desire was to be next to Chris as much as possible...especially knowing what tomorrow would bring.

After your morning romp you languished in bed for a while relaxing, fingers drifting over each others bodies.  His stomach rumbled loudly, startling you both and setting off a fit of laughter.  It was a subtle hint to finally get moving and leave the cocoon of your bed. 

Today was a day to be comfortable and you pulled on a super soft spaghetti strap tank top and sleep shorts.  After a quick debate you decided to pull on a pair of underwear too, just as an extra barrier between the wetness you knew he’d cause you throughout the day.

The sense of eyes on you while dressing caused you to hazard a glance up at Chris who was watching you admiringly.  Your own eyes darted down and began flitting across the floor, feeling uneasy with the attention.  Being looked at like that would take a little getting used to.  

“I was hoping for a naked Sunday, you sure you have to put on clothing?” He piped up from the bed.

Smiling with a closed mouth, you walked over to him and leaned down to plant a wet kiss on his waiting lips.  

“In theory, the idea of having you in my apartment naked all day is a dream come true.”

“Buuut…?”

“Buuut the reality is, I reeeeally don’t think I want you teabagging all over my furniture.”

Chris barked out a laugh so hard he had to double clutch his chest. It was almost too loud and you had to motion with your hand for him to lower his volume because of the neighbors. His laughter was contagious and you joined in, dropping down to sit on the edge of the bed, elbow on your knee, hand holding up your head.  You didn't know why the statement set him off the way it did, and you didn't care. The fact that you were the one making him lose his shit crackers like this was everything to you.

When you were both breathing normally again, you casually suggested he hang out in boxer briefs for the day.  Really, it was just to keep that body on display and available to you, and currently it was still naked beside you and impossible to keep your hands from seeking it out.  

“The struggle is real!” you thought to yourself, a quick smile coming across your lips as you ran your fingers over his pecs and played with his chest hair.  

“Eggs and turkey bacon okay for breakfast?” you asked, wanting to make him something instead of going out for it.  

Catching your wrist, he lifted your hand to his mouth, planting a kiss into your palm.  He held it in both his hands as he warmly gazed into your eyes.  In your head you still had a hard time believing that he was here. That you hadn’t knocked yourself in the head during the escape game and dreamt this whole thing up.  But those lashes were real. Those soft blue eyes were real.  Your heart racing with feelings for him was also real.  

“That sounds perfect.  I’m gonna go freshen up first. Rendezvous in the kitchen?”

“It’s a date,” you agreed after he released your hand, allowing it to trail a path down his body as you stood up to leave.  

A quick glance at the kitchen table showed your phone flashing a missed text message from your mom.

**Mom:**  Hi sweetheart!  Just checking in to see what you and Chris are doing today??

With barely a second’s pause you typed your response:  “Each other.”  Send.

As expected, her reply came quickly.

**Mom:**  LOL, funny. Real funny smart ass. Fine, you don't have to answer. Keep your secrets you brat. I’ll talk to you after he leaves. Love you XOXO

While getting the coffee started you dialed your dad’s cell, totally trying to avoid your mom, and   left him a voicemail for Father’s Day.  To ensure no more interruptions occurred, you flicked your phone to silent mode and set it out of the way on the counter. There had been enough mom’s cockblocking this relationship and you weren’t taking anymore chances.  You spun on your toes, momentarily feeling lighter than air from happiness and got to work on the food.  

First order of business, bacon!

While putting the bacon into the oven to cook, you spotted the half loaf of crusty italian bread you had snagged from Ryan’s last night. Pulling out the griddle and getting it preheated you got to work making four thick slices of the bread.  Using the rim of a glass, you made a hole in the center of each and were cracking eggs into the open spots just as you heard Chris making his way towards you.  

Strong arms encircled your waist and his warm breath felt comforting against your neck, even if his scruff did tickle you a bit.  Spotting the food you were making he asked, “Hey! Isn’t that the breakfast from that Cher movie?”  

You both simultaneously said, “Moonstruck,” and you beamed that he recognized it.  

Chris was set in charge of place settings, and he joked that he knew where everything was thanks to his “snooping,” and went on pretending to find more dicks when he opened a draw or cabinet. 

“The only other dick around here is you,” you chirped over your shoulder, earning a playful, “Hey, I resemble that remark,” from him. 

When the food was ready, you both dove in ravenously thanks to all of the late night cardio, and remained at the table long after the food was eaten, drinking coffee and swapping tales of your families and friends, hands doing as much of the talking as your mouths were. There had been multiple skype and phone sessions, but getting to have these talks in person was a whole different feeling. There was a connection between the two of you that was palpable, like a current running across the table.  

His phone chirped with a new message.  Swiping it opened he explained,  “I gotta call my PA to nail down a couple of scheduling things and I bettah call my dad before I forget Fathah’s Day.”

After a stretch, you stood up and gathered the mugs from the table.  Giving him a quick peck on the lips, you motioned towards the living room,  “Why don’t you get comfy in there while you make your calls and I’ll clean up, okay?”

With the water running in the sink you couldn’t really make out what he was saying, but you heard enough to know he was talking with his dad first. After the call the tv switched on and from the living room you heard, “Any chance you’re hiding you know what in here?  Maybe you cut a hidey hole out of this Rumi book I sent you to make a hidden insert?  Or put a bullet vibe in the Harry Potter box?”

“Fuck you Evans!” you called out, shutting off the water.

“You already did!  Wanna go again?”

Bracing your hands on the counter, you shook your head slowly, a broad smile coming across your face.  You loved when the banter was like this.  

“Are you snooping again?”

“Nooo,” he drawled, before making a bunch of banging noises, “What makes you think that?”

His phone rang, ending the fun.  It was his assistant and you left him alone to finish his business, drying and putting away the dishes before wiping the counters.  

“Thanks man, talk to you tomorrow,” Chris said, ending his call as you walked into the living room to join him on the couch.  

“So, what do you want to do next?” you asked, sitting sideways to face him.  

“Are you any good with that X-box over theah?  I saw you have Lego Avengahs,” he asked, his Bahston accident on full display.

“I am actually,” you answered smugly, “You wanna play?” 

“It’s been a while but, yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy on ya,” he said with a wave of his hand. 

Gathering the remotes, he fired up the console and let the game load. 

Immediately you started ballbusting, “Dibs on Cap!”

He turned in his seat, looking at you incredulously, “Seriously, dude?  I AM CAP!”

In your best Nigerian accent you poked yourself in the chest and quoted from the Captain Phillips movie, “I’m de captain now!”  

Chris dropped his head back, laughing in disbelief at your horrible impersonation.

Shrugging your shoulders you added, “You may play Cap in the movies, but I am  _ always _ Cap in this game.”

Grabbing his remote, he shook his head at you and chastised, “You're a horrible hostess. A good one would allow her guest first choice.”

Pretending to be scared, you put your hand to your mouth, eyes wide, “Oh no! Are you gonna call Martha on me?”

“I don’t have to call Martha, I’ll just say this: ‘I won, I won!’ Hmmm...what could it mean?”

“I’m confused...” you admitted, not knowing what he meant.

“In your dream last night, you said rather loudly, ‘I won, I won!’  What exactly did you win?”

Caught off guard, you had no time to make up a cover story and decided to go with the truth. 

Mostly. 

“Oh! I remember.  It was strange, I was at a party or...a wedding I guess it must’ve been.  Octavia Spencer came running out of nowhere, knocking everyone down to catch the bouquet and then she shouted that.”

The image left him roaring, but before he could ask anymore questions you conceded, “And fine, be Cap. He's lame anyway and can't even fly. I’ll be Thor,” before adding in a lascivious tone, “He's good at swinging his big hammer around.”

“Fuck. Thor.”

“Maybe after you leave.”

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes skyward, he waved his hands around in defeat, “I give up.”

“Awwww, so soon?  Come on Cap, let’s start this so I can kick your ass.  Game on mutha fuckah”

He smacked your arm and smiled devilishly.  Over the next few hours and several different games you learned that a competitive nature was just another thing you both shared.  In the end, he won most games against you fair and square and by just a little bit.  Although it wasn’t really fair, as the jerk kept distracting you by flexing those damn biceps as he played.  He didn’t even realize he was doing it. 

Note to self: Never, ever, play video games with Evans when he’s wearing nothing but his underwear.  You will never win.  And the drool really isn’t good for the controller.  

Of course, you decided to use your feminine wiles to help you win some games, and succeeded several times in distracting him with a nip slip or a peep show with some help from the spaghetti straps.  

After playing several games, Chris made a call to his mom while you made your way to the kitchen to heat up some leftover chicken for lunch.  After warming up the chicken breasts, you were pulling the meat off the bones to chop up when your ears perked up after hearing your name coming from the living room.  Moving a bit slower and quieter, you decided to eavesdrop a bit, wanting to know what he was saying about you.  

“Yeah, I told her everything. She took it a lot better than I thought she would, actually!  I am, I just checked my schedule this morning.  I can if you want me to, I’m sure she’d love it.  Nothing much, we’re hanging out at her place today, I just kicked her ass at some video games.  Yesterday was awesome, we spent the day with her family.  Great people!  Nah, I stayed over here.  Yeah, we did.  It, ah, it was amazing... she's amazing! I can't wait for you to meet her ma, you’re gonna love her! I’ll ask her soon, I promise. I’ll let you know.  Love you too.”

Ask me about what? 

A million things pinged through your brain as you finished pulling together the garden salads topped with chicken, going light now to save calories for later.  Grabbing a large cutting board to use as a tray, you piled on the plates plus a beer for Chris and a bottle of seltzer for yourself, before walking into the living room as he was finishing up his call.  

Setting the makeshift tray down on the ottoman, you handed Chris his lunch before settling onto the sofa beside him.  He changed the tv input to Netflix and browsed a bit before excitedly asking if you wanted to watch Arrested Development.  While the show played you exchanged lines from episodes you loved and ate lunch.  One thing that hadn’t been discussed yet was the phone call with Lisa.  Just as you were getting the nerve to ask him about it, Chris finally brought it up.

“Hey Nic, do you have any plans for the Fourth of July?”

“Nothing set in stone, why?”

“Cause my mother is having her annual bahbeque and I’ll be able to sneak away for a few days because of the holiday.  Mom asked if I would want to bring you so you could meet the family.”

You didn’t know what you were expecting to hear, but this was certainly not it.  Your eyes darted around the room, trying to figure out if you could pull it off.

“Why do you look so nervous all of a sudden?  I met almost your whole family yesterday.”

“Yeah, but my family are normal.  Wait, that’s not the right word. I meant we’re just the typical, average family.  This is meeting Lisa Evans!  She’s not normal!!”

“There goes that word again,” he said sarcastically.

“I meeeean, she’s practically famous!  Everyone who’s a fan knows about you and your mom!  Meeting her scares the shit out of me because if she doesn’t like me I’m toast.”

“Um, no, that’s actually not the case at all if that’s your concern.  But in any event, she will absolutely adore you.  In fact, she kinda does already.  We talk about you a lot.  She was a bit miffed that I was meeting your parents before you got to meet her.”  

Holy shit!  Okay then, you were obviously doing something right in this relationship.  

“I don’t think it’ll be an issue.  It’s on a Tuesday this year and I think the office is closing a little early on Monday.  The court calendar is always pretty light that week so I may be able to get off on July 5th.”

“That’s my girl.  Let me know as soon as you can so I can get her off my ass, okay?”

“Promise.” 

During one episode, a favorite of yours called “Mr. F,” he ended up laying on the couch with his head in your lap.  Your fingers found their way to his silky hair and you began lightly massaging his scalp.  Chris’ eyes kept closing at your touch and he visibly appeared more relaxed. 

‘That feels sooo good,” he remarked, his voice sounding a bit groggy.  You smiled to yourself and continued to play with his hair. 

Looking up with adorable puppy eyes he enticed you, “Wanna take a nap with me?” 

Bending down to brush your lips against his, you answered him in a voice that was low and sexy, “Only if it’s a naked one.  Maybe a little afternoon delight?”

“Mmm, I like the sound of that,” he agreed, returning your kisses before turning his head and aiming his mouth at the crotch of your shorts.  Out of nowhere he started to suck you through them, his hot, moist breath immediately setting off a fire in you that made your breath hitch. Your hands made their way into his hair again, this time gripping at it.  

Chris ceased his teasing and sat himself up on the couch, patting his thighs as he gave directions without words. Wasting no time you straddled his hips and exchanged a devouring kiss. 

Your hands were gripping his face, hips grinding against his crotch.  Chris’ hands were moving all over you, holding your body tight to him, sliding up and down your back before finally sliding down to your ass and gripping your cheeks to add more pressure. His hands made their way up again and got ahold of the bottom of your camisole, pushing the fabric up and off.

He flung the fabric to the floor then brought his hands to palm your now free tits that were perfectly exposed before his mouth.  Cradling the globes, he started running his thumbs over your nipples until the peaks were aching.  Your hands were back in his hair as he pushed your breasts together and began alternating between them as he licked and suckled at you while you squirmed in his lap, with only a thin layer of fabric between you and his hard erection.

Suddenly you found yourself being lifted from the couch and your legs automatically wrapped themselves around his waist as Chris gripped you by the ass again and stood up with you still attached to him.  

Holy shit he was strong!  

You held on tightly to him as he carried you down the hall quickly and then lowered you onto the mattress.  He removed your panties and shorts in a series of quick movements and threw the clothing aside.  

Chris dropped to his knees and pushed his face into your pussy, his tongue making quick work of lapping up your wetness.  Your feet were perched against the edge of the mattress, providing you leverage as your hips undulated against his talented tongue, your hands clasped together with his beside them.  

He used his tongue in different ways than he did last light, perhaps because of the new angle. Sometimes he used it to draw circles against you, then he would suck with abandon before switching to just the tip of his tongue quickly flicking your clit.  Your back was arched off the bed, head whipping from side to side and you moaned out his name in ecstasy.  Your hands were still entwined.

Few things in life feel as good as being eaten out by a man who knows just how to do it.  When you came you gripped his hands so tightly that you worried about breaking the skin with your nails. 

You released his hands as he got up and you took a good look at him, drinking in every detail.  His chest was heaving, pupils blown wide with lust, mouth glistening with your juices, and his cock was at full attention, straining the fabric of his briefs.

What he wanted next was exchanged with eyes and expressions as he quickly went to the box on the floor, taking out a condom from a different strip.  

“Ribbed, for her pleasure,” he playfully told you as he took off his underwear, ripped open the package, and began to roll it down his length.  

Flipping yourself over, you tried to crawl up to the pillows on your hands and knees, but got caught by Chris as he all but tackled you, pressing his body over yours and flattening you down, running his hands up your body as he growled in your ear how bad he wanted you.  

Sucking kisses were being applied to your body beginning at the back of your neck before moving down your back, then reaching the curve of your waist.  His hands were moving along with his mouth and when he reached your ass he glided his hand down until it reached the back of your top leg, pushing it forward and exposing you.  

He glided the hand back up until it reached your lower lips, rubbing it against your still sensitive nub to work you back up again.  Once your hips were starting to move he used your wetness as lube and inserted two fingers into your core.  Your hips started to rock with the pace he was setting.  Chris withdrew his fingers and moved his way back up your body to lay beside you, his chest to your back. You turned your face towards him and could taste yourself as your tongues danced together. 

Chris gripped his dick and plunged it into your throbbing hole,  The sensation of being filled up and the spot he was hitting from this angle were incredible, making your fingers grip the bedsheets and your breathing erratic.  He brought his wet fingers to your mouth and you turned your face to lock eyes with him before opening your mouth to take them in, tasting the slightly salty and musky flavor of yourself in a whole different way. 

He was watching you intently as you sucked his fingers like they were his dick until he withdrew the digits and took a hold of your right breast, pinching your nipple as his thrusts became stronger.  Your hand moved on top of his, making him squeeze your tit harder as your hips rocked back and forth together as one.   

You wanted a different angle and swung your top leg back and over his hip, bracing the ball of your foot against the bed.  Your hand went to the back of his hip, and his hand moved to the top of yours.  With your leg at this angle you were able to do the work, thrusting yourself onto his cock and controlling the pace and depth and he lunged forward into you.  You were both moaning loudly as the pace increased. 

Chris worked you through your second orgasm then brought your leg forward again and moved up on his knees to allow him to fuck you hard and fast from behind, both hands on your hips to lock you in place.  The feeling of being at his mercy like this was a total turn on and it gave you an idea for something you wanted to try later tonight.  

As he reached his own peak, he took you deep and slammed into your core at just the right spot which set off yet another orgasm for you.  You came together, pulsing around each other.  It felt so good that tears sprang from your eyes as you released a high pitched sob of pleasure.  A stream of curses and guttural sounds were emanating from Chris.

He withdrew slowly, leaving behind a feeling of emptiness you were starting to dislike.  He cleaned up and returned to the bed, bringing a wet washcloth for you.  Once you were done and laying back down he cradled you from behind again, enveloping you in his warmth.   You reached down to pull the blanket over your bodies, creating a cocoon that allowed you both to deeply relax and doze off for a while.  

You could get used to afternoon “naps” if they were going to be like this.  

A strange sound woke you that you couldn’t quite figure out.  Taking a glance at the alarm clock you saw that a little over an hour had passed and that Chris was no longer in the bed.  

As you rubbed your eyes with the heel of your palm the sound came again, “Pssst.”  

What the fuck was that?  

“Pssst,” came the sound again, but with a slight giggle in it this time.  

The source was coming from the far side of the bed and you rolled over to locate it.  You knew you were fully awake but this was an oddity straight out of one of your weirdest dreams.  

There were two chocolate penis pops peering at you over the edge of the bed.  One was white chocolate and the other was a soft blue.  They had faces drawn on them in frosting and had candy eyes.  It was as disturbing as it was funny, until they spoke and then it changed to completely hilarious. 

“Oh goody, she’s awake!  Now we can have that talk with her,” said the white one in a high pitched voice with a strong British accent.

The blue one cocked to the side a bit and added in a deep sounding British voice, “Where are your manners, Gertrude?  You have to at least offer her a beverage before you start making demands upon the poor girl!”  

“You are so right, Peter.  Excuse me, mum.  Would you care for a spot of tea?  I can add a little cream to it for you.”

“Bugger off Gerdie! I’ll be adding the cream and sugar! Dear, would you like one lump or two?”

“Why you bloody tallywhacker!  You’ll end up stealing my tip if you do that!”

“Piss off!  It’s just the tip!”

That was it! You landed face down on the bed, head buried in your crossed arms laughing uncontrollably.  Chris finally rose up from his spot on the floor and the dong show was apparently done.  Gone, but never to be forgotten.  When you could breathe again you flopped back onto the pillows, holding your stomach as a fresh wave of laughter erupted.  It was contagious and he fell onto the bed, joining you in the merriment. 

“I don’t even know if I  _ want _ to know what the hell you’ve been up to while I was asleep,” you said, caressing the side of his face and giving him a quick kiss.  

“What can I say, I woke up with the munchies and went looking for something sweet to eat.  I couldn’t find much of anything except for those lollipops.”  

“Nibbled on a little prick while I slept, did ya?”

“I nibbled at nothing!  I may have sucked on the balls, but I never nibbled!”

“You didn’t find the can of spotted dick in the pantry?” you joked.

“No, just some wieners in the fridge. With you there always seems to be an abundance of wieners,” he teased. 

You cringed a bit at not having thought to buy something to keep here for him. Maybe you really were a shitty hostess.  Once you found out he was coming to see you almost everything had been removed to avoid temptation.  There a bathing suit to look good in after all.  The only surviving sweet thing in the house was a container of dark chocolate nonpareils for when you really wanted something.  

“Sorry about that, been trying to be a good girl with the snacks at home.”

“Hey I get it, but you gotta live a little too don’t forget.  Anyways, the only thing I did come across was a metal box labeled ‘baking supplies’.  I found the candy eyes in there and what I think are the ingredients to make some chocolate chip cookies...”  he said the last part in a voice that was as much a question as it was a statement.  

His eyebrows were raised up high and he had a super boyish grin on his face. 

Who could resist that face?  

Definitely not you.  

Looking over at Gertrude and Peter you asked him curiously, “Is that Maddie’s frosting on the pops?”

“Yeah, it was the only thing I could think of to use for gluing the candy eyes and making mouths. I found it in the fridge...probably would have been better if it wasn’t purple.” 

Picking up Gerdie you used your own thick British accent and quipped, “Nonsense, you did a bang up job, Love.  Now, shall we have a talk about all that tea ya wankers dumped into the harbor?”

Surprised at hearing you sound like that, Chris gave you huge smile.  He looked even more boyish now with his eyes all crinkled up.  Picking up “Peter” he added in his thickest Bahston accent, “Wanna go, ya chowdahead?  I’ll toss ya ass over teakettle and you can join it at the bawtom.”

You bonked him on the head with Gerdie before laying back down, leaving a dab of purple frosting on his forehead. 

"So can we?” he asked, laying down alongside you as he wiped off the frosting.  Your noses were touching sweetly when he swiped his frosting coated thumb down your cheek.  

“Can we what?” you asked, suppressing a giggle as you cleaned your cheek and wiped it on his arm.  This playful cuddling was the best.  

He left the frosting alone in order to plead his case.  

“Bake cookies.  I really, really, REALLY want some cookies.  Someone’s been taking a lot out of me since last night and I need some sugar.”

“Oh, so this is all MY fault?” you questioned with a smile, bracing your hand against his chest and pushing him back a bit.

“Insatiable?  Party of 1, Insatiable?” he joked, looking around with his index finger pointing up in the air.  

You gasped, mock indignation on your face.  No way to hide it really, he was one to call a spade and a spade and you respected that.  And insatiable was exactly what you were around him.  

“Maybe if you weren’t so goddamn irresistible I wouldn’t have this new addiction.”

Pulling you into his chest, he kissed the top of your head.  “Baby, I am more than fine with your little problem.  Trust me, I’m not about to send you to rehab any time soon,”  he held you for a few moments before adding, “Now about those cookies?”

  
Sighing you mumbled, “Fine, you win.  Let’s go bake some Tollhouse.”  You pulled your head up and met his lips before asking,  “Umm...why am I tasting cannoli?”  His stammering was all the answer you needed, “There better be at least one left or you are in soooo much trouble!”

Chris sprang from the bed, “Shit! I’m outta hea!”  

God he was so fucking adorable sometimes!  

Walking around the bed, you began to redress before hitting the bathroom, then remembered that your top was still in the living room.   

You found Chris in the kitchen studying the back of the package of chocolate chips and pulling out the ingredients listed.  He was wearing a full apron, tied at the waist and at his neck.  It was a gift from Jade and had gingerbread ninja men on it.  It was oddly sexy and you gave your lip a quick swipe of the tongue before biting it to hide your amused smile. When you sauntered over he immediately inquired about the location of a few things he couldn’t find. 

Pulling him into your arms you gave him a quick pouty kiss, “Well aren't you just the most delicious gingerbread man ever?”

“From the other stuff I saw in that drawer you seem to like them an awful lot.”

“I do!  Some people love snowmen and others love Santa’s. I happen to be a gingy lover.”

“Oh, so I take it that whole ‘muffin man’ thing this morning was right up your alley?” 

“It totally got you laid.”

As cute as he looked, you just couldn’t take him seriously while he was wearing that apron and you deftly pulled the ties at the neck and waist to get it off him.  “You don’t need the apron for this, I promise I won’t let you get burned.”

He returned to gathering a few more things when you told him the locations, while you plucked out the utensils and tried to get the bowls. Too lazy to pull your stepstool over, you tried to reach the mixing bowls from a high shelf but could only get your fingertips to brush the bottom.  

“Hey, tall guy! Can you put your height to some use and come help me with this?” you called over your shoulder.  A few seconds later he was behind you, hands cupping your breasts from their undersides.  

“What are you doing, Chris?  I asked you for help.”

“I am helping...myself to these delicious tatas!” he informed you, bouncing them in the palms of his hands.  Dropping your hands to the counter, you dropped your head forward and gave it a shake.  

“You’re incorrigible, Evans.” 

“You love it and you know it.  Now, which bowl do we need. I want cookies!” He added the last part in his best Cookie Monster voice and it caused both of you to laugh again for the umpeenth time that day.

“The glass ones, we need them both.”

Reaching up he questioned, “Two bowls? Don't we just have to dump everything in, stir it, scoop it, done?”

While gathering the measuring cups and spoons you explained, “Sometimes, but we’re not making a one bowl recipe, we have to separate the wet and dry first.”

Standing close in front you and boxing you in he dropped his voice, making it deep, “Oh. Guess you’ll be in charge of wet cause it seems to be your speciality.”

“Really, Evans?” You asked sarcastically, feeling yourself getting a bit wet even as you said it just from the look he was giving you. Insatiable may have been an accurate word to describe you after all. Then again, there was a lot of time to make up for. 

“You're never gonna get your cookies this way.”

Backing off immediately he gave his hands a quick rub as he looked around, “Can't let that happen. What do we do next?”

“You can pull the cookie sheets from that cabinet over there, I’ll preheat the oven and get the wet stuff.”

He paused, looking at you with a tight expression, dying to make a comment but holding back, “I’m not gonna say it.”  

Bullshit, you heard him mutter a comment under his breath anyway.  

Your cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling.  There was such an ease between you both, such a comfortable and relaxed feel.  It was hard to believe this was your first real day together. 

“So Chris, do you bake often?”

“Yeaaaah, nooooo.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I did anything like this.”

“Ok, I’ll take it easy on you.  Use the measuring cups and start with the flour.  

You watched as he scooped out a heaping cupful of flour, spilling it all over as it was moving it towards the bowl.   “Nooo!  Stop right there mister.  You have to level it off first, use the knife, scrape it across the top over the flour bag so the extra falls back in.  

He did as instructed but for some reason instead of scraping away, he quickly scraped towards himself, causing the flour to blow out all over his chest.   There was no holding back your laughter at seeing him covered in flour, some was even in his hair.  Wetting a paper towel, you moved to wipe him up before starting the flour over and showing him how to do it the proper way.  He was good after that, remembering to level the remaining cups and spoons.  

On the other side of him, you began softening the butter and getting the sugars mixed into it along with the eggs.  He added his dry mix into your bowl when it was time, spooning it in carefully.  Your ears picked up the tune he was mindlessly humming, “Hooked on a Feeling.”  

A slight flush came to your cheeks as you remembered the dream.  You handed him the bowl to mix while you cut open the bag of chips.  He wanted to do that part and began purposely putting them in just a few at a time to drive you nuts.  When you shot him a glare he finally stopped the nonsense and let the rest come out.  A few more quick spins with the spatula and the mixture was ready.

Chris did the honors, using your mini scoop to plop down tiny balls of dough onto the cookie sheets.  You put them into the oven, setting the time, and set about pulling the cooling racks from the bottom drawer of the oven.  When you looked back at Chris he was getting ready to do the dishes.  Ever the gentlemen.  

There was no taking your eyes off of him suddenly.  Chris Evans was doing your dishes wearing nothing but his grey boxer briefs.  Life wasn’t just good.  Life was fucking amazing. 

He caught you ogling and sprinkled you with water from his fingertips.  You swatted him in the ass with a dishtowel.  He got you with more water.  You walked behind him and yanked his undies down, then backed away.  

“Oh, so THAT’S how you want to play!” was all he got to say before quickly shutting off the water, yanking up his briefs and chasing you into the living room as you squealed with delight.  

He caught you near the sofa, gripping you by the waist before sweeping you off your feet and dropping you onto the couch.  He straddled your waist, pinning you down, and taunted you with tickles while the cookies baked. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspiration song for this chapter was One Republic's "Breathe Again"


	26. Promises, Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole have some sweet treats and enjoy a little time at the beach where her secrets may come out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW 18+ explicit sexual talk

“Stop!! I can't breathe!” You wheezed out in between fits of laughter as Chris’ long fingers assaulted you with tickles. He made quick work of finding all your weak points, making frequent trips back to the crook of your neck and to the soft spot on your waist. Your hands kept trying to block him but you were no match for the master. He did have younger siblings after all and his skills had been honed over many years.

“Not until you promise me something,” he bargained, pausing for a moment so you could catch your breath.

“What is it?”

“First, promise me.”

“Promise you what?”

“Just promise me.”

“No way Jose! You’re chico muy loco. For all I know it’ll be ‘Go skydiving with me’ or some crazy ass shit like that. Tell me first.”

“Wai-what, you speak Spanish?”

“Not really.”

“Then what’s with the ‘chico loco’ shit?”

Exasperated, but grateful for the reprieve, you answered him sarcastically, “How the fuck should I know? It just came out.”

“Whaddya mean ‘How the fahck should I know?’ You’re the one that said it.”

“I say I a lot of shit I’m not aware of, but one of those things isn’t ‘I promise’”.

With a shrug of his shoulders he replied, “Fine, you had your chance,” and proceeded to shove his fingers down to the juncture of your leg and crotch and not in a good way.

This was probably your most sensitive spot and you tried to squirm away. Chris held you down with one arm while tickling the shit out of you with his fingers while repeating, “Promise, that’s all you gotta do is promise and this will all be over.”

Realizing you were never going to win this battle you relented.

“Fine, okay! I PROMISE! Whatever it is, I PROMISE!”

Immediately he stopped, grasping your wrists in order to prevent you from retaliating.

“I want pizza for dinner,” he stated matter of factly.

“Oookay, that's it?”

“Almost. I want pizza for dinner and when you eat it I want you to say, ‘Oh Chris, this pizza sucks! Bahston pizza is sooo much better than this New York shit!’” he was saying this in a high pitched voice that didn’t even slightly mimic yours.

“You’re kidding me right? I mean, I’ll say it but it won't be very convincing. I’m a horrible liar.” This was apparently not the answer he wanted and the tickle attack began again.

“Stop! OK I’LL SAY IT! I’LL SAY IT! I PROMISE!!” you cried out, defending yourself as he continues his assault.

He stopped, bringing his face a few inches from yours, both breathing heavily from exertion.

“Deal, Nic?”

“Deal.”

The timer went off. Saved by the bell.

Chris got up off the couch, extending his hand to you for help. The pain in your ribs from hearty laughter caused you to rub it while walking into the kitchen and you took several deep breaths to steady yourself. You muttered “Fuckwad” under your breath earning a quick smack on the ass from him as he walked behind. Someone was certainly getting handsy and, you had to admit, you were loving every second of it.

Taking the cookie sheets out of the oven, you began to transfer them with a spatula onto the cooling racks. One cracked apart and you deftly popped it into your mouth, doing a quick shoulder and hip shaking happy dance that brought a chuckle out of Chris.

“Good cookie?”

“Mmm hmm. I’ll let you in on a little secret. This right here...chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven…fuckin’ kryptonite to me.”

“I’ll have to remember that weakness,” he said as he swiped the next one off of your spatula with glee and tried to take off with it like a naughty little kid. Unfortunately for him the second he took a bite he got scalded by a volcanic chocolate chip and immediately began reacting to the burn, jumping around and waving his hand over his tongue to cool it off.

Shaking your head you playfully chastised, “Amatuer! That’s what you get for being a cookie thief.”

Talking with his tongue sticking out he tried to defend himself, “Fwuck you ‘amatweur!’ I bwurned my fwahcking tongue an ah woof of my mouff!”

“Didn’t I just eat the same thing right before you did? Without bitching about a burn? You hafta know how to eat them around the melting chocolate. Like I said...amatuer.”

“It huwwwwts!” he whined.

“Aww poor baby,” you said soothingly as you walked over with the sugar bowl, “I saw on Pinterest that if you put some sugar over the burned area it helps with the the pain.”

He stuck his tongue out and you sprinkled some sweetness onto it and instructed him to close his mouth and let the sugar do its thing.

“Wahs da twick?

You motioned him to keep his mouth closed as you put the bowl down, “Ah-ah, zip it. Let the sugar melt over the spots, try to get it worked into the top too. No talking until it melts.”

“Ohay.”

“The trick is…don't burn your mouth in the first place.”

He glared at you and you glared back, both sets of eyes crinkled with suppressed laughter.

Deciding to soothe him, you put your arms around his waist and held him close, resting your face against the soft hair of his warm chest. His arms wrapped around your shoulders and for a few minutes there was nothing but a sense of total peace and contentment. His scent was like catnip and you found yourself nosing into him a little more, inhaling it and nuzzling your cheek against his pec. It felt like ages ago since a man had held you like this and provided these feels of being safe and loved. You could totally get used to it.

Tongue healed he spoke again and the spell was broken, “I think the sugar thing actually worked. Doesn’t hurt like it did.”

Giving his cheeks a squeeze and a quick kiss to his lips you replied, “I’m glad. Can’t have that tongue of yours out of commission, we still have the night ahead of us.”

“In that case we better make sure yours stays healthy too,” he countered back at you.

“Baby there is no way you’re leaving New York without getting licked again, that much I really can promise you. In fact, I may need to find a specialist that can fix a sprained tongue.”

“Better make two appointments.”

“Is that a threat Evans?”

“Nope, that’s my promise to you.”

“I like the sound of that,” you whispered against his lips before exchanging sucking, wet kisses being careful to keep the kiss closed mouth in case his tongue still hurt. By the time the smooching was over the cookies were no longer nuclear and could be safely eaten. You pulled down a plate and put a bunch onto it, while he grabbed a couple of glasses and poured out some milk. He also grabbed a can of cool whip.

Sitting down next to each other at the table you eyed him warily, “What’s that for? I don’t know if I trust you with that can, Evans.”

“I’m gonna make me a whoopie pie,” he explained as he placed one cookie on the dish, topped it with cream and placed another on top. Of course, he squirted some cream into his mouth before placing the can down. With his mouth still full he picked up the cookie and said, “See!”

Waving your hand about you objected, “That’s not a whoopie pie! And the sight of you and cool whip? Dude, you’re lucky I’m outta bananas or you’d be in serious trouble.”

Chris had just brought the “sandwich” to his mouth for a bite as you mentioned the banana and was apparently not expecting that. He barked out a laugh, spewing cream everywhere.

“Dammit that was not my fault! Not my fault! You’re evil, you fahcking timed that shit!” he exclaimed, wiping at his mouth and grabbing a napkin from the holder on the table to help you clean up the mess. Not that you were really cleaning, that’s hard to do that when you’re in hysterics.

“I did not, it just came out. I got this image in my head of you walking down the hall towards the bedroom with the banana.” Looking him over you found a wad of cream that had landed on his chest, probably squished out from the cookies.

“You missed a spot,” you whispered, leaning forward and using a long lick to get it off a spot on his upper chest just below that sexy clavicle tattoo. Sitting back with a sly smile you caught the way he was eyeing you but realized the implications too late Before you knew it the can was off the table, shook and pointed your way. Cold cream hit the skin at the top of your breast where the tank top dipped low.

“Oops, looks like you missed a spot too,” he whispered back while trying to hide a smile.

With a deep sigh you started reaching for a napkin, “Yeah, guess I better wipe this off...”

Chris covered your hand to stop its movement then said in a deep voice, “No, no, no, allow me,” before leaning forward to slowly and thoroughly lick it off of you.

“I didn’t know it hit my nipple,” you said, practically moaning the words.

“Oh, you’re very dirty girl. You got cream all over yourself Nic,” he explained as he gave a few more long swipes before finishing and sitting up straight again.

Creamy all over was a pretty accurate description of you right now. God this man had some affect on you. After exchanging a few naughty, knowing smirks at each other the chocolatey delights took center stage again.

The cookies brought lots of memories back for both of you and the next half hour or so was spent enjoying them while swapping stories about the delicious morsels.

“These are awesome Nikki, they’re so moist.”

He caught the slight cringe you made at the word and asked, “What was that?”

“What was what?” completely unaware of what just happened.

“Moist,” he repeated, eyes crinkling with amusement as your nose wrinkled with disgust.

“What’s wrong with ‘Moist’ Nicole?”

“Oh my gahd! Please stop saying that word. I despise that word.”

“What word? Moyyysssssstt?” he teased, elongating the word to annoy you.

“Knock it off Evans! It gives me the heebee geebees!”

“But it’s such a useful word. It describes so many wonderful things, like your moist mouth, moist lips, moist pus-...”

“Enough!” you proclaimed, hoping to stop him before he could come up with any more examples.

“Whatcha gonna do about it?”

“Not much I can do when you want to be a pain in the ass. But don’t forget, in two weeks I could be meeting your family. Lord knows the little secrets I’ll find out about you.”

“They won’t rat me out. Boston code of honor.”

“Bull. Shit. I can get people to talk. You’ve never seen me in action. Mom’s eat me up, they love me! Before you know it they’ll be telling me everything. Maybe you had a weird collection of shoelaces when you were young. The family had to hide their sneakers and boots or find themselves unable to tie them in the morning. Or left shoes! You’d slide out from under their beds like an auto mechanic with a shoelace or left shoe in hand. Your poor mom had to check under yours every night to find them all.”

“You’re fahcking weird,” he barely got out as he doubled over in laughter, smacking the table then his knees.

“I’m weird? You’re the little bastard that stole the laces from the all the kids shoes in the cubbies at school! If Scott’s there I’m sure I’ll there lots of juicy stories.”

Chris ran a hand through his hair and rolled his eyes, “Dear God. I hope he’s busy that weekend.”

“I hope I can get that Wednesday off. I could come either way but I’d rather not drive 4 hours alone, late at night on a drunken holiday like that.”

“If they say ‘No’ you tell them Captain America demands you have off for his birthday celebration.”

“Yeah sure, that’ll fly,” you joked sarcastically, “I don’t anticipate a problem but I won’t know for sure until I go to work.”

Noticing that the living room seemed to have filled with light you picked up your phone to check the weather and found that the storm was in the middle of a lull and was over for the time being.

“Wanna get out of here, maybe get some fresh air? There's a small beach close by that should be empty.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Chris mumbled around the cookies in his mouth. There was one left and it was broken in half and shared after clinking them together in a toast.

Licking some chocolate from your finger you got up and gave him a quick peck. “Take your time getting ready, and by the way, the leftover cookies are going to Boston with you. Those little round devils are waaaay too tempting to keep here. I’m gonna go change and quit while I'm ahead.”

After dropping your glass off at the sink, you grabbed some clothes from your bedroom and made your way towards the bathroom. While in there you heard Chris rummaging in the bedroom, likely taking clothes out of his carry-on. Meeting in the hall you were delighted to see him wearing the Smurf’s Space Cadet t-shirt that you sent him as a birthday present. It earned him a huge grin and a kiss.

Grabbing a small tote bag, you filled it with a couple of towels in case they were needed and two water bottles. Passing the kitchen you stopped to grab a few plastic ziplock bags and put them in the pocket of your denim shorts. They would come in handy for collecting shells and other little treasures. Hopefully there would be some mementos of your first time at the beach with Chris.

The shore was about a 15 minute ride from your apartment with a lot of it along winding tree filled roads The leaves were gorgeous, appearing in some areas to be almost emerald colored against the dark gray sky above.

Chris called Tom to check on how things were going with Dodger and ended up on facetime and started sweet talking with his little fur buddy and getting the run down on their adventures. He turned the phone your way to say hello to Tom and the wonderpup. Because the roadway wasn’t straight you could only take your eyes off the wheel for a few seconds, but it was enough to become completely starstruck. Your life now included facetiming with Spiderman and everyone’s favorite fluffy tailed puppy. Tom’s accent was absolutely adorable.

What the hell had you gotten yourself into Nicole?

As expected, the small beach was empty when you arrived. A virtual private paradise. Before stepping onto the wet sand you both removed your sandals and there was a moment of childish delight when the sand squished between your toes. You shared the thought with Chris and exchanged smiles filled with nostalgia as you walked hand in hand down to the water.

The waves were rolling in, white caps from the storm could be seen in the distance. It was still pretty early in the season and the moment your toes touched the water you gave a little yelp from the cold and jumped back.

Chris was in the middle of making a smart ass comment when his feet came into contact and he screeched out a high pitched, “Holy Christ that's cold!!”

“No shit Sherlock! Did you think I was making it up?”

“Nooo, but I figured you were exaggerating! Fahck, I’ll remember to believe you next time.”

After that the walk was moved a little higher, still on the wet packed part of the sand, but just out of reach from the water. Every so often there was a need to quickly run up onto the sand a bit to avoid the water when it rushed in. The wind kept annoyingly whipping your hair into your mouth and you pulled it up into a low messy bun with a hair tie. Chris’ hair was for once uncapped in public and you loved the way it blew around It was getting longer and the combination of his hair and five o’clock shadow was enough to make you tingly in your naughty places. You had a brief image of holding that hair while his scruff rubbed against your inner thigh. Aaand, yep, there was the familiar feeling of your panties getting wet again. Why the fuck did you wear panties around this guy?

As you and Chris came upon pretty shells, rocks, and the occasional piece of seaglass, they were gathered and placed into the baggies. He found a roundish white rock that looked a lot like the moon, glittery in some sections, darker spots in others, and a little banged up. It would go on your shelf as a reminder of the day.

You took off at high speed with a squeal when Chris picked up a wad of seaweed and proceeded to chase you with it while speaking in a monster voice, proving he really was the man-child the fans suspected him to be. He dropped the green menace and grabbed you by the waist from behind, spinning you around like you were nothing in his arms. When the little ride ended you were both facing the water with his body draped over the back of yours, his chin resting on your shoulder. You allowed your head to drop back, closing your eyes to enjoy the romantic moment, breathing in deeply to take in his scent mingling with the salty post storm air.

In no time at all his hands went on the move, taking advantage of the privacy. He slid one hand up to cup and knead at your breast, while the other he slid down the front of your shorts. The fingers of that hand rubbed your clit over your panties.

“You sure this is a good idea? Maybe we should stop,” you protested meekly.

“Ssshh, relax, it's ok. There's no one around, no one can see us. We’re just two people looking at the water. Clothes are staying on, so just let me touch you Nicole.”

Once the shush sound was made into your ear it was a done deal. Didn't matter what was said after that, that sound would make you agree to anything.

Letting your body go a little more limp against him you began grinding your ass in small circles against the erection pressing against you. You’d never considered yourself to be an exhibitionist but something about being felt up this way out in the open, knowing at any moment you could get caught, was totally turning you on. The sensations his hands were causing, coupled with the mingling of your hot breath as it came in faster for both of you was completely intoxicating.

“Chris….you’d better stop before I can’t. But we are definitely not through with this,” you promised, not wanting to get too carried away out here.

“But you’re so moisssst,” he whispered into your ear. You gave him a warning glare from the side of your eye as he giggled at his joke.

He reluctantly pulled his hand from your shorts and brought them back to circle your waist, planting a kiss onto the side of your neck. “I understand, and I totally agree. I’m not through with you yet either, not by a long shot.”

After a few minutes of standing there together to let your bodies calm down, Chris excitedly pointed over to the right where the clouds had parted and the sun was now shining through, “Look hon, there’s a rainbow over there!”

It was wide and so bright that 6 out of 7 colors were visible, and seemed to be pouring down into the ocean. Deciding to take advantage of another set of available hands, you asked Chris to take a photo of the rainbow while you framed in with your fingers in a heart shape. It was something you always saw on Pinterest but could never manage to do. Today, however, you had an extra set of capable hands, and the rainbow was centered and perfect.

He loved the look of it and suggested a few other shots be taken the same way, framing small rocks as a thin layer of water made them glisten, the crashing waves, a seagull. Some goofy pictures of each other were snapped. Chris climbed up onto a large flat boulder and did several statues poses. His biceps were perfect for Rodin’s “Thinker.”

A little more collecting went on. Finding a large conch shell he pretended it was a telephone and held a conversation with The Little Mermaid. Actors were weird, you thought with a smile.

Bringing a couple of round shells to your head he declared you Princess Leia. You wandered away a little and drew a heart in the sand and wrote the initials “C & N” into it. He came by and for a moment you tensed up, worried it was a little too much. When he added a larger heart around to frame it and made an arrow you felt a sense of relief, knowing you guys really were on the same page. You snapped a photo of it that would also make your bookshelf.

There was a wooden pavilion a bit further up the beach with a swingset under its cover that became the destination. Along the way Chris found a giant intact clam shell and brought it over to show you. While examining it over he asked another question about your dream.

“I know it’s not an oyster but this is reminding me of something I heard last night. You murmured something about a pearl. I could’ve sworn it was pearl necklace but I’m not sure,” he commented as you were making your way down the beach towards a swing set.

Without thinking you answered automatically while plucking another treasure from the sand. “Oh yeah, I remember that part. I think you commented on the pearl bracelet I had borrowed and offered to give me a pearl necklace.”

“I was going to buy you jewelry?”

“What? No, you were going to make me one.”

Confused he asked, “Like strand the pearls and shit?” demonstrating with his hands.

Looking at him with a surprised expression you explained, “No silly, a pearl necklace! You know, when a guy cums across a girl’s neckline?”

“Oh, oh that! I wasn’t thinking along those lines. Did I do it?” he asked solicitously.

“Sadly, I told you I was worried about ruining my dress,” you said with a chuckle, reaching the swings and dropping yourself into one. He sat on the one beside you, neither of you swinging but instead just kind of pushing yourselves side to side, twisting the chains a bit.

“Was it a wedding gown?” he asked, playfully kicking some sand onto your toes.

That caught your attention, your body freezing in position while you stared at him like a deer in the headlights.

‘What makes you say that?”

“Just piecing the clues together. You mentioned Octavia catching a bouquet and that you were wearing a pearl bracelet that you ‘borrowed’. There are some brains behind this face you know,” he chided playfully.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it with a sigh you swung a little harder while finally admitting to him that it was in fact your wedding in the dream.

“But it wasn’t romantic!” you pointed out, “It was more funny and wacky than anything else.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me this morning?” he inquired, arms crossed.

Unsure how to read his body language you answered nervously, “Because I was afraid it would freak you out. All I kept thinking was that you’d be saying to yourself, ‘You spend one night together and she’s dreaming of weddings? What a whack-o! Let me call an Uber and get the fuck outta here.’ So, I kept it to myself.”

He eyed you, arms still crossed and expression still serious, “So why are you admitting it to me now?”

Well shit, this isn’t the way you thought this was going. Uber may just be coming down the beach instead of your apartment.

Looking out over the water you answered quietly, “Because things feel different now. I’m more comfortable around you than I was this morning. I know that sounds weird, it’s only been a few hours...but I do.” Finally turning to meet his eyes you added, “And like I said, it wasn’t some crazy stalker over the top thing. It was an odd mixture of things I always imagined for a wedding...and then some completely weird shit.”

His released the folded arms, grasping the chains of the swing instead and kicked more sand your way, an understanding and slightly mischievous smile creeping across his face.

Biting the inside of your cheek for a moment, pondering where to begin, you decided to start with the beginning, “So...remember that scene in the Princess Bride when they’re getting married and the priest has a speech impediment?”

You couldn’t remember all of it, but there were many small things that stood out and sometimes when you pulled on a thread the rest of the scene would come out. He loved hearing about Dodger as the ring boy, Rocket in his blue ruffled tux setting off explosions, and Renner dancing like John Travolta. You finally told him the real story behind “Cowbell” and how he started singing “Hooked on a Feeling” until Chris Pratt took over and led a conga line to it while hitting the instrument.

“No wonder that song’s been in my head all day!” he yelled out, smacking his forehead. Chris slapped his chest saying that he could totally see Pratt leading the way with that song and the cowbell.

Recalling your mom and Nick Fury doing the tango caused you to have to wipe tears from your eyes, and he did the same thinking about his mom going all cowgirl with the Black Panther on tiny horses. He loved the ending pie fight and the fact that your joy during it made you laugh yourself awake. Naturally you had to taunt him that there was a part about Thor giving you something 10 inches long. Real life Chris agreed with his dream counterpart regarding their shared feelings of Hemsworth.

“Oh! I almost forgot, Tom Brady was there too!”

“You’re shitting me?!”

“No really! He caught the garter! Don't remember anything else about that part though. I told you, my dreams are batshit crazy sometimes. I don’t know where the hell these things come from.”

“You see it as batshit crazy, I see it as a sign of a highly creative mind. And honestly, I would never run scared from you for something like that. When we’re dreaming it’s like our hearts take over, showing us what it wants while the brain takes a nap. There’s no control, there’s no reason, it’s just your heart’s desire.”

“Are you sure? I don’t know why my mind went there.” Shaking your head quickly you professed, “I just...I’m enjoying this so much. Enjoying ‘Us’ so much. I can’t tell you the last time I felt this way around someone, or if I ever have. Guess my heart was just a little carried away last night.” Kicking some sand back at him you teased, “Must’ve been all that horrible sex. I mean really, maybe you should go rent a porno or get some lessons or something.”

“Excuse moi?” he asked incredulously as you threw your head back and let out a hearty laugh.

Starting to actually swing you taunted, “You heard me. I think you need some more practice.”

“You’re gonna regret saying that Nicole!” Chris started swinging with you, trying to get his legs higher than yours. There was that competitive streak again, even on the playground.

“Promises, promises,” you retorted back, pumping your legs hard as you tried to keep up with him.

“C’mon, you gotta put more effort into it than that, Nic!”

“Oh lick my sack Evans! Your legs are like a foot longer than mine,” you grumbled.

When the swinging competition had finally ended you were both filled with a giddy rush. As you came down from the high he reached out and took your hand, holding it tenderly.

“I don’t want you to feel weird about having a dream like you did. Truth is, I totally get where you’re coming from.”

Raising an eyebrow at him you pushed, “Really? Do tell.”

Now he was the one in the hot seat, his cheeks starting to burn red. He pursed his lips, started to talk, stopped again. Finally screwing up the balls to get it off his chest he blurted out, “The night you left Boston I had a dream that I was mowing a lawn. I looked around and saw you working in a garden. Dodger was there playing with another dog and a few small kids. Somehow I knew this was my home and this was my family. I woke up feeling so happy and...I don’t know, I guess ‘peaceful’ is the best word. It was complete contentment with life. And then I realized it was a dream and I spent the rest of the day so bummed out. So, yeah, I totally get dreaming about someone a little sooner than you probably should. It happened to me too.”

Suddenly you were the one red in the face. Chris dreamt about you having a family together and it was a serious dream. More and more you realized that the strong feelings you had were mutual after all. Your brain rationalized that it was way too early and that your heart was going into time out if it didn’t behave itself, but crazier things have happened. Chemistry can happen in an instant and sometimes love truly does happen at first sight.

Leaning forward in your seat you whispered, “Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about that Chris. It’s a beautiful image.” You refrained from saying dream, hoping that maybe it was more of a premonition he had. A girl could hope.

He met you halfway and kissed you deeply. His hand found it’s way to your cheek, caressing it. When you finally parted there were a few minutes of silence while you both gathered your thoughts.

Chris was the first to begin speaking but he got only as far as, “Nicole, I…” before the sound of a dog barking interrupted the moment.

Whipping your head in the direction of the sound, a man and his black lab were visible in the distance. They were still a bit away but it was a signal that it was probably time to get a move on before others started coming to the oasis. He stepped off his swing, coming up behind you and hugging you as he rested his head on top of yours. Together you watched the dog happily running into the water for his stick, oblivious to the frigid temperature.

“Does Dodger like the beach?” you queried, knowing he was missing his baby.

“I dunno, he’s never been. We may have to remedy that and bring him here one day.”

Looking up at him upside down you agreed, “I’d love that! I can’t wait to meet him.”

Finally dragging yourself off the swing as the dog and his owner crept closer with every toss, you pointed the way towards a nearby path that led to the parking lot, figuring you’d enter from the far side to avoid walking past the man. No one was expecting to find Chris Evans on this beach, but that wouldn’t stop him from being spotted by someone.

There was a rocky slope to climb up and Chris leapt up and over like it was nothing, damn showoff, then after a graceful pirouette he extended his hand to help steady you over the uneven surface.

“Why thank you kind sir,” you said with a nod of the head.

“You’re quite welcome m’lady,” he answered with a bow.

Yeah, you were definitely a pair of dorks. Smiling at the thought you wiped the sand off your feet and got your sandals back on as Chris did the same, then walked holding hands to the car.

“Not sure about you but I’m starting to get kinda hungry. Maybe we can order something and I’ll run in and pick it up on the way back home?” you offered.

“I could eat. You promised pizza though remember?”

“How could I forget? My ribs still hurt a bit from the laughter this morning ya Bahston bastahd. I know a place though, been going there for years. They’ll take good care of your delicate taste buds. Do you want just pizza or do you wanna maybe split a hero?”

Getting into the car he gushed, “Oooh a meatball hero would be perfect! Maybe a hero and a pie?”

Pulling out your phone you nodded while getting the contact info up and dialed it on your car’s bluetooth.

“Sounds like a plan, let me get my buddy on this.”

When the familiar voice of the owner came over the speakers you knew Chris was in for a treat. The man was one of your favorite people. He was mid-60’s, thick italian accent, warm smile with a devilish gleam in his eyes. He treated his regulars like family and knew everyone by name. It was the only place you enjoyed going into and eating alone because it wouldn’t be long before he or a member of his family would be talking your ear off while they worked.

Adding your own thick fake italian accent you answered him by saying, “Gino! How are you thissa beautiful nighta?”

“Oh, my bellissima Nicoletta, is thatta you? Am I gonna see mya sweet angel tonight?”

“It issa you handsome devil! But I’ll be taking it homa to eatza tonight.”

Glancing over at Chris you saw him silently clutching his chest while he tried to hold back his laughter. The man’s accent was enough to make anyone smile. Your horrible attempt to match it was apparently quite comical.

“Nicoletta, you breakin mya heart. Not evena un glassa di vino with your lonely Uncle Gino?”

“I’ma so sorry Gino, but I’ve got someone coming over for dinner tonighta and I need him to hava da best meatballa in all of the world!”

“Apetta un minuto, you have a manna coming for dinner? I thought I wassa your one anda only bella mia? Your a-breakin my hearta.”

“Ooh you better notta let your wife hear you say that.”

“My beloved wifa, issa old and hairy woman. She don’ta compare with my princessa.”

Now it was your turn to laugh while correcting him, “Gino! I’ve met your wife and she’s like Sophia Loren and she’s gonna beat you with the sauce pot if she hears you saying such things about her.”

He gave a quick lighthearted chuckle on the other end, “Dont’a tell her I said that! Now mi amore, what can I make for you and your love? You say’a he wants something witha meatball?”

“I said he is a meatball, but yeah, he wants to try your meatball hero,” you teased, giving a quick wink at Chris, “Thinking that and your cheese pie. Maybe some garlic knots?”

“Nicoletta, you sure-a you wanta eata garlic tonight??”

“Gino, any man that dates me has to love garlic or they get the boot. Might as well put him to the test up front.”

“You’re my kinda woman.”

“Gino…” you warned.

“Heza lucky man. Special garlic knots for my girl and her new man. I’ll see-a you in 20 minutes, amore. Ciao bella”

As you ended the call Chris finally spoke up, “He sounds like a trip. Wish I could meet him. Reminds me of the owner of the place we went to in Sudbury.”

“Maybe one day, I know he’d love you,” looking around the car with wide innocent eyes you asked, “So we have about 10 minutes to kill before we have to leave. Whatever shall we do?”

“I have a few suggestions,” he growled as his hand reached for your face to pull you into a kiss. He broke it to begin his way down your neck, sucking at the vein there that he learned yesterday was a huge turn on for you. Chris began speaking in between the sucking kisses.

“So, have you ever had any other dreams about me?”

Had you ever. There was one in particular that still got your heart racing to this day. It was vivid and intense but short. You decided to have a little fun with this, mixing the real dream with the fantasies you had created from it afterwards. This could prove very interesting for later.

“Yeah, in a way. I mean obviously it was you, but the dream was about Steve Rogers. The way you looked post serum in the First Avenger was one of the sexiest things I have ever seen. It’s only natural that it leaked into my brain for fodder later that night.”

That caught his attention and he brought his face up to look at you with curious eyes, a little wicked gleam dancing in them, “And just what exactly did you dream about?”

“I dreamt I was a doctor and had to check Steve out after the serum. I took him to a private room for the examination and as soon as the door shut he grabbed me and kissed me. He caught himself and apologized, saying he didn’t know what came over him. That’s when I saw the humongous erection and knew exactly what came over him...a massive surge of testosterone. He was pumped up full of hormones and his body was surging with need. As his doctor it was my job to make sure my patient was taken care of.”

Chris nodded, a naughty smile spreading across his lips as he looked your way, “That’s very true. So what exactly did the good doctor do about his, um, big problem?”

Raising your brows you explained rather matter-of-factly, “Well, I had to examine him to make sure there were no problems with the experiment. I began by sliding my hands all over the new muscles of his chest, arms and back test his reflexes. He had a thin layer of sweat on his upper body that made it glisten, so I took my top off and used it to wipe him clean. I wanted to test his fine motor skills so I turned around and asked him to unhook my bra to see how they were.”

“And…?”

“They were perfect. He took it upon himself to unzip my pencil skirt and it fell down to my feet revealing the garter set I had on underneath. I turned around and he slid the straps of my bra down my shoulders, letting it fall and exposing my breasts. The look on his face told me what he wanted and I decided it was my patriotic duty to fulfill this man’s sexual needs.”

“What kind of needs?” Chris asked, breath hitching a bit. His knee was swinging back and forth, hand bunching up the fabric of his shorts above it.

“I dropped to my knees, then freed his cock from his pants, licking my way from shaft to balls. I let my hands reach around to grip his ripe ass cheeks, squeezing them and enjoying the perfect firm roundness of them. He dick was so big I could barely fit him in my mouth and I had to release his ass to work him with both hands as I sucked him with abandon. Steve hooked a finger under my chin, lifting me to my feet and attacking my mouth in a hungry kiss. Then he picked me up and carried me over to the desk, swiping everything off of it with his powerful arms.”

Glancing towards Chris confirmed you had his rapt attention as you proceeded with your fantasy dream. Knowing you would never be able to keep a straight face if he was in your line of sight, you kept your eyes on the water, feeling something similar to the undulations the waves in your own body.

“He sat me down on the edge of it. When he tried to pull my panties to the side he instead tore them off, obviously still not used to his new strength. He apologized but I put his mind at ease, telling him I had more. With a nod and a smile he sank to his knees and devoured my pussy like he was a starving man. Then he stood up and entered me slowly, carefully, watching my face and taking direction. As I watched his own face and expression it occurred to me this was likely his first time, I wanted to make sure it was a great one. Once he was fully in me and began to move we quickly found a rhythm that had me coming undone.”

Chris swallowed thickly, “Was that it?”

Funny, even with the air conditioner on there was a bit of fog on Chris’ window.

“Nope, not by a long shot. After I came, again, he hooked my legs over his forearms and carried me over to the wall, impaling me onto his dick while he held me up, sucking my tits as they bounced in front of him. He had total control and I was putty in his hands.”

A little breathlessly Chris asked, “And then?”

“And then he set me down and we kissed again. He still hadn't reached his release and I knew he still had more in him. I had to make sure he was able to, that there wasn't anything medically wrong with him, so I asked him to take me again. We went back to the desk, only this time I leaned over it, wiggling my ass as an invitation. Even in the dream I could feel the coldness of the metal desk against my nipples. He grabbed my hips and fucked me so hard the desk kept moving under us. It was hard and rough but I loved it, encouraging him. He kept checking in on me, nervous that he was hurting me but I told him how good his big dick felt inside me and how much I was loving it, using the desk as leverage to push back against his thrusts. After he brought another screaming orgasm out of me he finally reached his own, pulling out and shooting his hot cum all over my back. It was one of the most amazing sex dreams of my life. I woke up soaked and finally understood how guys feel when they wake up from a wet dream.”

It was getting darker out but you could still make out his eyes and they were filled with need and lust, exactly the way you hoped they would be later too. You smirked to yourself as the plans you began hatching for the bedroom earlier today became clearer in your mind. There were things you had been wanting to do for a very long time and Chris was just the man to help you experience them.

“That sounds like quite the dream,” he said, his voice husky and a bit choked.

You looked at him seductively and lowered your voice, “Well, you have the kind of body that can makes a girl’s dreams come true. Maybe we can make some of those moments a reality.”

Glancing down you saw the erection you were hoping for, maybe not as big as the one Steve had in your dreams, but this one was just right for you. Deciding to make him sweat it out a bit you turned back in your seat and turned on the headlights. “Looks like it’s time to get going, don’t want to keep my Gino waiting.”

Chris fell back against his seat, a resigned groan escaping him as he pulled on his seatbelt.

You turned your face towards the driver’s side window to hide the grin that was trying to break through. While your dreams were quite vivid, there was only a nugget or two from it in the scenes you just revealed to Chris. The rest was pure fantasy, a way to let him know you were ready for something different. He had been so gentle with you, only beginning to show you some of what he was capable of doing before your nap today.

You didn’t want to make love tonight, you wanted to be fucked, and thoroughly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration for this chapter was “Suddenly” from the Xanadu soundtrack and “Crazy for you” by Madonna


	27. Moist

Apparently your plan to turn things up a notch was working.  

The shorts he was wearing did little to hide his erection which kept coming and going as you drove.  You pretended not to notice, just stealing little glances out of the corner of your eye as you sang along to the radio, and he kept shielding it with his hand and pushing it down.  Maybe he was remembering the little “dream” you just told him about.  Maybe he was hatching a plan of his own and thinking about the things you would be doing later.  

Either way, it was a win.

Circling around the lot a bit, you managed to find a dark spot in the corner to park and to hide Chris while you went inside to get the food.  He handed you cash, which you tried to push back - after all, he was your guest - but he was an insistent bastard.  After giving him a glare and an eye roll you stepped out of your SUV and left Chris to play on his phone.

As soon as you walked into the small restaurant the wonderful smells hit you and your stomach growled as you made your way to the counter to pick up dinner.  

“Nicoletta!  Gino tells me you have a new man?!”  you heard the owner’s wife inquire as she peered around you, looking towards the door, “Where is he?”  She had a slight accent, nowhere near as thick as her husbands. 

Slowly turning your head towards Gino, you gave him a stern face and shook your fist his way.  “Gino!  You hava beeega moutha!”  

The old man shrugged his shoulders, sheepishly laughing as he waved his hands around, “Itza not everyday you tell me you hava new man.  I getta happy for you Nicoletta!”

Giving him a squinty eyed nod you turned your attention back to his wife as she rang you up.  “He’s waiting in the car, Antonia. He had an important call to take.”

“Well, I wish you the best.  Maybe next time you dine inside and we get to meet him.”

To appease her you nodded and said, “Maybe,” before thanking them and taking the boxes that were stacked on the counter for you.

“Oh! Wait a sec Nic, I have something to give you.”  She grabbed a foil container and lid then bent down into the glass display case.  When she came back up it was with two generous slices of New York style cheesecake.  

“A little something sweet to share after.   _ Afte _ r what I’ll let you decide,” she said quietly adding a wink at the end.  

You couldn’t help but blush and bite your lip and you thanked her for the dessert.  The cheesecake they served was a favorite, equal parts heavenly and sinful.  It was also on the house which was even better.   

Blowing a kiss to Gino you walked back to your car and the dorkalicious man sitting in your passenger seat.  Chris took the takeout and held it in his lap for the few minutes it took to get back to your apartment. 

Getting out of the car, he took a deep sniff of the boxes and whined, “Gahd this smells amazing! I didn't realize how hungry I was until just now!”

He followed you up to the second floor and carried the food high to shield his face from any prying eyes.

“Those were my exact thoughts when I walked into the place to get it,” you agreed while opening the door and walking in.  “I’ll grab us a couple of beers and some plates and napkins. Wanna pick out a movie to watch during dinner?” you questioned, pointing at the shelf holding your collection. 

“Sounds like a plan. In the mood for anything in particular? Comedy, action, porn...”

“Haha very funny.  Surprise me, I’ll go for anything.”

From the other room you heard him begin to read aloud, “Porn it is!  Let’s see, whatta we gots here…’Debbie Does Dallas.’ Space Nymphos.’ ‘The Sperminator.’ ‘What’s Your Number?’ - I heard that one was full of a hot naked guy - ‘Hulk Fists Fury.’ ‘Thor Takes It In The Ass-’”

Shouting from the kitchen you decided to add to the fun, “Excuse me, but he takes it from no one. It's ‘Thor Takes _ You _ in the Ass!’  There's also ‘Fun with Loki in Ass-Guard,’ ‘The Flavors of Fury,’ ‘Hawkeye Shoots, Nothing But Rim,’ ‘Pantman-’”

You heard him bark out a laugh when the rimjob one hit him and gave yourself a mental high five.  He continued with more Avengers titles, “‘Bucky Bangs Berlin’, ‘Captain America Resurrected and Erect...”

Coming into the room with the supplies you interrupted his fun, “Enough!  I don’t have any of those titles and you know it.  Did you find something for  _ real _ ?” you asked as you set the box and plates down on the ottoman and set the bottles of beer on the end table.  

Chris sat on the couch and covertly adjusted himself, but you noticed and decided that dinner could wait just a few minutes more.  He seemed very happy when you straddled him and took his face into your hands. 

“I’ll tell you one porno you missed…’Escape with Chris Evans’ and it’s pretty  _ fahcking _ hot,” you whispered before kissing his mouth. 

“Oh...wait, I think I know it! It's the one where the beautiful girl wins a charity contest,” he added and returned your kiss.

“And travels to Boston where she meets the devastatingly handsome and charming actor she's secretly crushing on,” you continued, finishing with another quick kiss.

Chris rolled his eyes, putting on his best “Aw shucks” face before adding,“Who, in a plot twist, knows all about her and has been secretly crushing on her too.”

“And they connect so well they spend the weekend together. He takes her to a romantic dinner and...”

“And they have a hot night in the park,” he continued, letting his fingers begin to roam over your chest.

“And then she leaves...” you added with a dramatic sigh and a pout. 

Accusingly he added, “And then she blows him off the next weekend to go galavanting with her friends, causing her to almost make the  _ biggest _ mistake of her life by letting him go!” 

Looking at him in utter disbelief, you cracked up and added, “But she didn't let him go, she gave it a try and kept talking to him every night until he could come see her.”

He was nodding as he recalled, “And then they spent an unbelievable weekend together laughing and having lots of mind blowing sex.”

“And going to a party with her family.”

“And having sex.”

“And baking.”

“And having sex.”

“And playing video games.”

“And having sex.”

“And going to the beach.”

“And then they had more sex.”

Giving up you finally caved, “And, yes, they had lots and lots of sex. But they also laughed and talked a lot. There were even talking chocolate penises with accents.” That one made you both laugh.

“They did have a lot of wonderful talks, both with and without accents. She’s become one of his closest friends.”

“And he’s become one of hers, too.”

“For the first time in a long time he found someone who can satisfy both his mind and body.”

“For the first time ever she found someone that can do both...and she’s learned to trust again.”

“Sounds like they’re meant to be,” he said, pushing your hair behind your ear.

“Sounds like a Disney movie,” you joked.

“And we all know how much that Chris guy loves Disney.”

“Who doesn't love a happy ending? And a guy who can turn on a girl's mind as well as her body? Sexiest thing  _ ev-er _ .”

He responded instantly, hands tightening around your back, unhooking your bra.  You let go of his face to pull the straps down through the sleeves of your shirt and then yanked the material off through the bottom of your shirt.  Your hips were grinding against his erection from the second you sat on him.   

Chris immediately palmed your tits through the shirt, pushing them together.  The kissing resumed until his hands moved under your tee and found quivering mounds.  One thumb stroked over your left nipple, while the other pinched your right one.  Your head fell back from the intense pleasure he just caused.  

“You like that I see?  You like it a little rough?  Like it a little kinky maybe?”

Bringing your head back up you explained, “A little rough I definitely don’t mind.  Not sure how kinky I’d be willing to go, but I’m open to suggestions.”     

The answer satisfied him for now and he pulled your face back down to his and showed you just how hot and kinky a kiss could be.  Eventually the kissing slowed and then ended as the immediacy wore off.  You climbed out of his lap and sat beside him on the sofa, and he handed over a bottle of beer and moved to get the pizza doled out first.  

“Did you pick out a movie?” You eagerly accepted the plate he handed you and smelled the delicious pizza piled on it.  

“I did actually, it’s loading now.  Grosse Pointe Blank. I  _ fahcking _ love that movie. Can’t believe you actually have it!”

“I love it too! Even the soundtrack is epic.”

“I met Minnie Driver earlier this year and managed to hold it together while we exchanged pleasantries, but the second she left I turned into a 12 year old girl meeting her idol.  Completely lost it.”

“Awww, did you tell her how much you like her movies or anything?”

“No, I froze.  I’m still so bad at the schmoozing part, at least if I’m sober.”

  
“You know, it’s kind of endearing to know you could still get starstruck.”

“It happens all the time.  Sometimes I still can’t believe this is what I do for a living.”

After thinking it over for a moment you added, “I think I’d be the same if I met John Cusack.  I mean, he’s the poster child for every 80’s movie I loved.  I can’t hear ‘In Your Eyes’ or see a boombox without, for just a split second, seeing him standing there with it held over his head in ‘Say Anything.’”

Chris sat up straight, then bent over and started quoting, “‘I don’t want to sell anything-’ no wait, umm, oh yeah- ‘I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or process or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career.  I don’t want to do that.’”

You sat next to him completely stunned and smiling, impressed and in awe that he had memorized the passage almost word for word.  Shaking your head slowly you face broke into a humongous appreciative smile as you put down your plate and gave him a slow clap.  

“That...my dear, was abso-fuckin-lutely amazeballs.  If I needed a reminder as to why I’m dating you,  _ that _ right there was it.”

“Movie quotes do it for you, huh?” he asked, before taking a swig from his beer bottle and giving you a sexy wink.

“Oooh baby, you have no idea.  If we start going back and forth with lines from ‘Better off Dead’ you may even get your pecker wet tonight.”

Chris had to put his hand up to his mouth quickly to avoid spitting his drink all over.  You watched him swallow hard as he moved his hand to his left pec before dropping his head back on the cushions to laugh.  

Still resting his head against the cushion, he turned his head to face you and questioned, “I  _ may _ get my pecker wet?”

Giving a quick contemplative look you quipped, “Meh, maybe. Haven't made my decision yet about that.”

“Well if I hafta work for it, I’m going with the big guns.”  He raised his head from the sofa, stared you straight in the eyes and exclaimed, “I want my two dollars!”

You gave him a wink, bit your lip, and smiled at him as you brought a hand up to caress your left tit.  He was watching your hand intently as he said, “Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.”  You other breast started getting some attention as you held his gaze.

“Gee, I’m really sorry your mom blew up, Ricky.”  You began rotating your hips, grinding into the couch.  A hint of laughter escaped you, spurring him on.

“First we have  _ Frawnch _ Fries.  Then  _ Frawnch _ Dressing.  Then  _ Frawnch _ Bread.”

No longer able to keep up the ruse, you dropped your hands and fell forward laughing, holding your beer between your legs.  Chris slapped your thigh and exclaimed, “Do you remember when the green blob went sliding across the table after that and he tried to put his fork into it!”  

Laughing giddily, and rubbing your leg, you asked, “Oh my god, do you remember the scene on Christmas morning with Ricky and his mom?”

Chris looked at you and began quoting, “Do you have Christmas in France?”  He then grabbed your cheeks with his fingers and squeezed them to make your lips move as he continued, “Chriiiiiiiiist-maaaaaas.”  He then kissed your lips while they were pushed together like a kissy fish.  

You both fell back in a fit of laughter, breathing became difficult because the more you watched the lovable dork laugh the harder you did it.  Chris laughed with his entire body, it really was the best thing ever.  

The opening credits began and you finally began to eat.  You took a bite of yours and he looked at you expectantly.  

“Remember our deal Nicole, what are you supposed to say?” He said with a sly look on his face.

Taking a big bite you said with your mouth full, moaning with pleasure in between every few words, “Oh my God...This Pizza...it totally  _ sahks _ !    _ Bahston _ pizza is so much bettah than this New Yawk shit!”  

Chris lost it, almost choking on the bite he had just taken.  

“That was one of the worst Bahston accents I’ve evah heard, but please don’t change it because it’s fahcking adorable!”

“Fahck you.  I’ll fix it once I pahck the cah and meet up with my teachah.”

When he tried the meatball hero he was in heaven.  Chris offered a bite of his and it caused you to do your little happy dance. 

“Hey, none of that shit! You promised to hate the food tonight remembah?”

“Nooo, I promised to say I hated the  _ pizza _ tonight.  You never mentioned any of the other foods here.  Just pizza.  Rest is fair game for bragging rights cause admit it, this is ah-maz-ing.”

Grumbling as he took another bite he conceded, “Yeah, yeah it is pretty good.  Gino knows what he’s doing alright. Want another bite?”  he offered, holding the sandwich out towards you.  After taking the bite out you moaned, “Oh my Gahd Chris, your balls are so delicious in my mouth!  I could just hold them in there and let them roll around my tongue all day!”  He laughed and somehow you managed to keep a completely straight face.

“They are quite  _ moist _ aren’t they?”

The humor on your face came across at the word, it just couldn’t be suppressed.  He punched low with that one, but what’s fair is fair.  

“Hand me a gahlic nawt would ya?” he asked.

“I love how your accent comes and goes, geez you’re such an actor!”  Handing him one of the long twisted pieces of bread, you quickly grabbed one for yourself as well.  Eyes meeting, you narrowed yours and held up your knot before declaring, “En Garde!”  

A garlic knot sword fight ensued like you were a couple of kids.  It was wonderful.  

Once you’d both had your fill of the food and beer, you paused the movie briefly to put it away in the kitchen and snag more beers.  Thinking ahead, you grabbed a couple of plates and forks along with the cheesecake.  Placing them on the end table behind your heads for later you sat back down and snuggled into Chris’ side, his arm wrapped around your shoulder as you continued the movie.   

While watching, you found that Chris couldn’t stop touching you.  His hand was constantly on the move over your arms, your hair, reaching down to graze over your breast, not stopping to grope but just enough to make your breath hitch.  It felt so wonderful to be touched tenderly like this that you kept closing your eyes to relish in the feel of it.  

Your arm had been draped across his body and eventually it started moving around too.  He felt so solid and warm under your fingertips. Several times you stopped watching the movie to make out like a couple of teenagers.  He knew exactly how to kiss you the way you liked to be kissed, his tongue moved against yours perfectly.  You could easily spend the entire night kissing him if given the chance.

Chris was playing with a lock of your hair, twisting and releasing it over and over, you knew it meant he had something on his mind.  Sure enough, he spoke up after a few minutes. 

“Hey Nic?”  He paused until you looked up at him from your spot on his side.  “I just wanted to tell you that I’ve had an amazing time with you this weekend.  This is exactly what I’ve been needing. Just relaxed and close to you again.  Thank you for inviting me.”  

He bent his neck and you pushed yourself up to meet his lips, also moving yourself to rest higher up onto his shoulder. 

“I’m so happy you came. This weekend’s been a dream and so much better than I even thought it would be.  Now I just have to try and keep a straight face when I go to work. Vee’s going to take one look at me during the day and the gig will be up.”

“You still haven't told Valentina about us? I thought you told me she was one of your closest friends? Don't you trust her?”

“Of course I do! It's not that at all. I’ve only told my immediate family, Dani, and Jade. Now Sarah’s family knows now too.”

“So why haven't you told her?”

You paused, trying to figure out the best way to put your thoughts into words that would make sense.  Sometimes the things we feel can make sense to us in our heads, but can sound completely irrational when said out loud.  

“The thing is, we haven't seen each other since Boston. Over the last few weeks we’ve become close friends, I feel anyway, through our Skype and calls.  I guess I was afraid that maybe friends was all we would end up being. Like, maybe once we actually came together again the spark would be different and more friendzone than romantic. I didn't want to tell anyone else until I knew for sure. I’ll tell her now when the moment is right. I know I can trust her not to say anything.”

Chris looked genuinely surprised by your explanation.  “Really? I hadn't thought about that possibility at all, never occurred to me that things could feel different between us. I’ve been wanting to be by your side and kiss you this whole time.”

You quickly put your hand on his chest, making sure he knew there was more to the explanation. “So have I! Oh my God, please don't get me wrong, My attraction to you has only built up since getting to know you more.  But there's always that little insecure bitch that hangs out in the corner of my mind. Every time I would start to think about us she would come whisper to me that I was creating it all in my head, or that I couldn't possibly be what you really wanted. That once we saw each other again you would realize you made a mistake.  Pixie dust is an elusive compound, for all I knew the magic could've been gone. I was excited and nervous the entire morning until you came off that plane and got in the car. The second we touched again she got the “fuck off Freddy” message because I knew she was wrong.”

“What would you have done if she was right?”

“I would’ve spent the weekend having a fantastic time with my new bestie from Boston. I would want you in my life no matter how I could have you, Chris.   In a way,  I'm kinda glad we had the time apart. This is the first relationship i’ve been in where I have a strong friendship as the base. Usually it's a few dates and we’re a couple, but never quite friends.”

“I know what you mean. And I felt comfortable with you immediately Nicole, I knew no matter what I was going to talk to you again. I didn't know in what capacity, but I knew you were going to be part of my life.

“We did kinda just hit it off, didn't we? I felt like we were instant friends. I’m not normally that comfortable around people, especially not men. It surprised the hell out of me later on how many things I opened up to you about that weekend.”

“I’m glad you did and, for the record, I had no intention of coming here and friendzoning you. I’ve been dying to touch you and I’ve got the calluses to prove it!”

You buried your face into his neck as laughter erupted from you both.  In truth, he'd turned you on so many times these last few weeks your hand was getting a bit sprained too. 

When the laughing subsided you admitted, “I’ll tell you one thing I didn't expect.  I didn't expect to sleep with you this weekend. I figured maybe I’d let you get to second or even third base but I never thought it would go beyond that!”  Taking his face into your hand you kissed him briefly, “But I am so  _ fucking _ happy that I did!”

“I didn't expect it either. Hoped maybe it was a possibility, but knowing your history I never thought you’d be so easy.”

Shooting him an appalled look you cried out, “I am soo not easy! You’re just too irresistible! Plus you've had me worked up for a few weeks! You played it right, turned on my mind before trying to turn on my body. That's the part no one else ever figured out.” Moving down his body a bit, you settled back into his side again.  “I really thought we’d just fool around a bit and maybe go for a drive today and pick some strawberries or lavender or some shit like that.”

Resuming to play with your hair he conceded, “I would've been perfectly happy with that option, but I’m so happy we went for door number 2.”

“What would door Number 3 have been?”

“The zonk. Friend zone.”

“Let's keep that one closed please,” you muttered as the attention reverted back to the movie.  It really was amazing to be in a relationship with someone that could have such frank conversations with you. It was refreshing and wonderful. 

Just after the midway point of the movie you broke out the cheesecake, handing him a dish with the yummy treat.  It was love at first bite.

“Alright, this is incredible!  Does Gino make it?” He asked before quickly eating another forkful of dessert.

“No, I did ask about that but he told me he gets it from a bakery in Brooklyn every few days.” 

Chris snuck his fork over to your plate and stole a piece from it, popping it into his mouth before you even had a chance to deflect him.  “Hey!!” you protested before taking a swipe from his.  

He came at your plate again but this time he offered you the bite.  You took it off the fork slowly, savoring both the flavor as well as the action.  You followed suit and next thing you knew every bite was eaten that way.  After each bite was given to the other there was a flirty smile, a hint of joy in the other’s eyes and face. 

Deciding to make more of a game of it, after a bite you moaned out, “So creamy,” then let your tongue make a quick swipe of your lip.  

After his bite, Chris countered, “So heavenly in my mouth.”

Your next one was, “So silky against my tongue.”

Chris had to go the pain in the ass route of course with his last bite. “So  _ moist _ .”

You threw your palm up at him, and when he laughed hysterically at himself you bonked him on the forehead with it. Of course, that only fueled him further and you were left shaking your head and dismissively murmuring, “You’re such a dipshit.”  

It caused a new roar of laughter.  There was a good chance that he going to use that dreaded word against you forever. Something as simple as feeding each other cake just seemed to help build more of that connection and electricity.   

The reunion part of the movie came on and “Under Pressure” began to play and Chris mentioned how much he loved the song.

Nodding, you agreed, “It is a great song!  Have you ever really paid attention to Freddies’s parts though?”

“Whaddya mean?”

“I was listening to it one day when I realized he actually only says two lines in the whole thing, plus the “Why” that he epically screams in the middle.”

“No way! That can't be right,”  looking between you and the screen as he thought it over, you could see the doubt in his statement creeping in.  

“Shit, is that right?”

“It is.  His lines pretty much amount to ‘People on the streets,’ and ‘Why can't we give love one more chance?’  The rest is just him making weird sounds and basically scatting over the music. I have a theory about it...” you said pointing your index finger into the air.

“Well this I have to hear. Shoot.”

So you told him your theory of how you think they wrote the chorus and melody, then wrote the rest separately.  Bowie did a solid and amazing job with his, Mercury got writers block and never got to finish so he just filled in the lines he didn’t get to write with random notes.” 

Chris looked at you stunned, and a bit in disbelief. “That's it, I have to listen to this now. Still don't think you can be right about the two lines,” he repeated doubtfully as he pulled out his cell phone and brought the song up.  

You sat on the couch listening silently with a little smirk as he kept looking at you and shaking his head. 

“Holy Christ! I’ll never hear that song the same away again.”  Putting his arm over the back of the couch after putting the phone on the end table he boasted, “By the way, I’m totally dropping that theory on people from now on.  Not gonna credit you either.”

Opening your mouth and letting it hang in shock, Chris earned a glare as you slowly threatened, “You. Wouldn’t. Dare.”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.  Could turn up in an interview somewhere.”

Snapping your head away from him quickly, you returned your attention to the movie, playfully ignoring his sassy ass.  

“You know Nicole, I have a theory about something myself,” he casually mentioned.  Something about the tone of his voice made you return your attention to his face.

“And what might that be?  That you’re sleeping on the couch tonight?”

“For your sake, and mine, I hope that’s not the case.”   

You shrugged your shoulders, giving him a look that said “We’ll see.”

“And no, that’s not my theory.  My theory is that the dream you told me about in the car was actually your fantasy and not so much your memory.  I think you told me things you secretly want to do with me, but are maybe too shy to bring up.”

Yeah...so he totally nailed it. 

There was no maintaining eye contact with him for the moment, not with your cheeks burning up and your heart racing at the thought of what the next conversation could be like.  

Hey look! There was a loose thread on the hem of your shirt.  

“Nic...c’mon hon, look at me,” he pleaded, placing his fingertips on your forearm.  Reluctantly you turned towards him. 

“From that reaction I guess I’m not too far off with my theory.  You don’t have to hide anything from me.  I think we’re beyond the being awkward with each other point.”  

Moving forward, he took your chin in his hand and gave you an expression that was a lethal combination of serious and drop dead sexy.  

“If you have a fantasy, or something you want to do sexually, you can tell me.  I’m game for almost anything with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration for this chapter's mood was Kings of Leon, "Sex is on Fire"


	28. A Taste of Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things heat up again as Nicole and Chris discuss their fantasies and start to fulfill them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter NSFW 18+ graphic sex (oral) and language

After a heavy sigh you turned your body towards him and rested your elbow on the back of the couch.  Your fingers returned to fiddle with the thread again, needing to do something to keep busy at the moment.  

Speaking in hurried words you explained, “No, you’re not far off at all.  But there really was a dream, and the beginning of it was exactly as I said.  I was a doctor and I took Steve into a room, licked and touched him all over, gave him a blowjob, and then he bent me over the desk.  It was the  _ hottest _ fucking dream I’ve ever had in my life,” you admitted earnestly and sincerely.

Chris beamed a cocky megawatt smile at you, “The hottest dream of your life and it starred me?  I’ll take it.”

“Uh, excuse me, but it wasn’t starring you...it was starring Steve Rogers.”

He raised his shoulders and gave you a sardonic look, “Hey, same difference babe.” 

“Listen dude, I’ve stroked enough of you this weekend and I don’t have to stroke your ego too.”

The comment was greeted with a self satisfied grin.  

“Anyways...you caught me.  I had the dream and I’ve kinda fantasized about it ever since.  Added more and more to it as time went on.  When I saw the reactions I was getting from you I decided to just unleash them all.  Are you mad?”

“Mad?  Nic, that was fahcking hot as hell! I was just kinda surprised to hear you say the things you did. I mean, I’ve known you long enough to know ya got a dirty mind and mouth, but I’ve never heard you say things like that before.”

Giving a quick snort, you turned and hid your face into your palm.  

“Why are ya so embarrassed?  I  _ really _ liked it.  Gives me ideas for when we’re apart with only the phone or laptops to connect again.”

As much as you hated to think that was going to be the norm for a while, this was a pleasant and unexpected outcome. You turned back to him, resuming the thread fiddling with both hands now.  

“I’m not embarrassed, I’m just not used to talking about this stuff.”

Supportive as ever he coaxed, “Like I said before, you can tell me anything, you know that.”

“I do know that, and that’s exactly what I need to wrap my head around.  I’ve never been in a relationship where I could talk so openly, like I would with my girlfriends, y’know? It's gonna take some getting used to, but here goes.”  You paused and took a deep breath to keep from chickening out, then blew it out hard before continuing, “So when we made love this afternoon it made me realize a few things.  The position we were in was so different and erotic to me.  And then when you got on your knees and just kinda took over and,” you used your hands to gesture slamming into each other and succeeded in making him laugh out loud, “It felt incredible and I realized later on that this weekend is not only the first sex I’ve had in a few years, but it’s the first GREAT sex I’ve had in probably like 10, if not more.”

“Seriously?  How’s that even possible?  Making love felt incredible because it was  _ incredible _ . You’ve got some moves that drive me wild.  I dunno know if it’s our connection, or if we just fit each other perfectly or what, but each time just keeps getting better.” 

You smirked, letting his words sink in. He felt it too.  

“You were engaged within the last 10 years though.  Wasn’t he any good in bed?  I mean, you were gonna marry the guy, he had to do something for ya.”

Rolling your eyes as your face pinched up you admitted, “Not exactly.  I had a few memorable times in bed with him when we first started dating, but after that, nada.  I can’t even pinpoint the last time I had mind blowing orgasms like I’ve had so many times this weekend.”  

Now Chris was the one to look a bit embarrassed.  You saw the color rising in his cheeks as your words sank in.  “Your fiance was a bit of a dud, huh?”

“I guess so, in a way. It was good at first and then once he got comfortable with me everything became very,” you paused, trying to think of the best description, “Vanilla.  Yeah, that’s it.  He wasn’t spontaneous and wouldn’t try different places or positions.  

With a mischievous look he pointed out, “Nothin’ wrong with a bed, but sometimes the urge hits ya outside the bedroom.”

“Exactly! But with him it was  _ always _ in a bed, and no matter how we may have started it always ended the same way.  He was basically a missionary man, and unfortunately also a bit of a minute man.  If I didn't get off by then, oh well,” you concluded, shrugging your shoulders and throwing your hands up.

He laughed, but quickly caught himself,  “I’m sorry, that’s just…what a fahcking asshole!  Didja you ever talk to him about it?  Have a conversation about what you wanted?”

“I tried, but A. I was lot more timid back then. And B. We just didn’t communicate like this,” you pointed your hand back and forth between you, “Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with missionary.  Hell, if he could move his hips like you do instead of stiff the way his were I wouldn’t have had any complaints.”

Chris pulled his elbow back quickly and cheered, “Yessss! Nailed it!”

It was your turn to laugh this time, “You most certainly did.  And did it well I may add.”

“Did you ever try to spice things up a different way, or give him hints that he sucked at least?”

“Of course I did!   I remember one night I made up my mind that I was going to just take the lead and show him that I wanted to be fucked and he could do whatever he wanted with me.  Smack me on the ass, pull my hair, just fuck my brains out already!” you added, throwing your hands up in the air and saying the words like a plea as if sending up a prayer.

Now you were both laughing, and Chris took one of your hands in his, toying with the fingers on it.  He nodded to you to continue.  “So I wore a sexy nighty I had picked up that week, waited till he came into the room after a shower and tried to seduce him.  I really thought I was going to succeed, but it didn’t work.  As always it ended up in the usual way,” you flapped your hands over, folding one on top of the other and wiggling your fingers to mimic legs.  

“Did he at least improve a little?”

“Nope. Nothing special, I was so pissed that I didn’t even care when he finished and I was nowhere near close. He just cleaned up then went to sleep.   I shut down and cried myself to sleep that night.  He didn’t even notice.”

“Whatta fucking douchebag!  You were gonna marry this tool?”

You put on a pained expression, “Yeah, I was.  Other than the bedroom he was great. Or so I thought.  It was comfortable, not passionate.  I thought getting married was the next step for us.  Looking back I realize it was more of a comfort thing, more than love, and that I really dodged a bullet though.  I knew it at the time too, but it still hurt like hell when I found out about the other woman and what a shithead he was.  Kept thinking maybe it was all me, like maybe I just couldn’t bring the passion out of him, maybe I just wasn’t good enough.”  You paused for a moment, reflecting on the experience and the pain of the betrayal again.  The fact that he found someone else to love while still with you had left a deep scar.  

Chris took your chin into his hand and brought your gaze up to meet his.  “I can tell ya straight up, it definitely wasn’t you.  You’re passionate and engaged, whether we’re just kissing or in bed.”   The eye contact was never broken and it was clear that he meant every word he was saying.  

“Since we’re swapping details here I’ll add that, especially in my twenties, I had my fair share of Hollywood girls. I’m sure you know about a lot of them since you’ve been a fan.  What those pictures don’t tell you is how shitty a lot of them left me feeling.  Not so much the ones I dated for a while, even if it was briefly, but it’s the ones that I realized later were basically using me for a fuckboy.  To get their photo in a goddamn tabloid because they were out with the new up and coming heartthrob.  I realized I was fuckin’ around for the wrong reasons.  These girls didn’t give a shit about me, I was fuckin’ arm candy. The older I got the more the party boy ways stopped because it just wasn’t worth feeling so empty afterwards.  I wasn’t enjoying it anymore unless there was a connection.  Truth is, sex with you is at the top of my list.  You’re responsive, receptive, playful,” he made sure he had your attention before lowering his voice to a growl and adding,  “And sexy as fuck.”

Your body felt like a flame licked it. Would you ever get used to having him call you that?  

“Not every guy would think that way, a lot would just be happy to be growing their number.  And by the way, you’re not so bad yourself Evans,” you smiled back, wiggling your eyebrows and giving him a lascivious look. “I know we’ve only been together a few times, but every one has been different and just feels better than the one before.”

He moved in closer, pulling you into his side again.  “I agree.  So, didja you tell me that fantasy because you were hoping to do some of those things with me? Please say yes, please say yes...”

“Yes! Geez! Like I said, I haven’t had great sex in over 10 years.  After my experience with ‘the tool’ I think I was just too wounded to let anyone in, so I never really enjoyed it much.   But you woke me up. Now I feel alive, adventurous, and pretty damn sexy for the first time in my adult life and I fucking love it.”  

Turning towards him, you kissed him deeply as Chris’ hand went into your hair, holding your head to his.  When the kiss ended you admitted, “I know you went easy on me last night, and it was the right call, but I wouldn’t mind things being a little more wild tonight.  I think you’ve broken me in properly,” you added with a chuckle.

The smile he gave you crinkled his eyes as he broke into a slow, large smirk.  “I’ve got some ideas too, my mind’s been racing with them since the car.  Actually, I’ve had several stored away for awhile now.  Ya know, just in case there’s a rainy day, that kinda thing.  You’d be surprised what’s lurking in my mind. All sorts of fun stuff.” 

“Oh really? Well that’s good, because I’ve got some too. It’s nice to be with a man who knows what he wants and what he’s doing.”

“Hmpf, thank you, and back at ya,” he said before cocking his head back to look at you from an angle.  “I’ll tell you one of mine if you tell one of yours.”

“Pfft, what is this?  Show me yours and I'll show you mine?  Really?”

You both laughed with each other, then you decided there was really nothing to lose, and everything to gain.  

Resting your chin on the back of your hand that rested on his chest you started, “Alright, so I was thinking maybe we could use something Dani sent in that box you went snooping in,” and you smirked when Chris rolled his eyes at you and threw up his hand in defeat.  

Just as you started to finish your sentence he interrupted, “The Cap buttplug?  Or, oooh,  _ please _ the thin Cap dildo that’s perfect for your as..”

You smacked his chest playfully, “Hey!  I told you already, that is an exit only hole!”

“For now...who knows what the future will bring,” he quipped, raising his brows high and shrugging like it was a done deal.

“Like I said before, you first.  Anyways, I was thinking more like I pull out a few things we can play with because I am just dying to get my tongue all over dis body,” you admitted, then gave a long slow swipe across your upper lip while meeting his eyes.  His body shifted under yours and from the corner of your eye you could see the erection that had just sprung up. “What’s your show and tell?”

“I was thinking I could take you from behind,” you raised a finger and shot him a stern look and he quickly interjected, “Not in the ass! Just from behind.  You know, like you’ve been wanting to! I can also promise that you’ll get your brains fucked out and that I’ll do it properly. You don’t get left hangin’ with me.  I  _ always _ finish what I start.”  

He was giving you a look as he said this that immediately made your panties wet.  He meant what he said and your pussy was practically screaming “YES” as it clenched just thinking about him.  

Looking at him with a curled lip and one brow raised you disclosed, “Have I ever told you how much I love the way your mind works?”

Apparently deciding to torture you for the moment he informed you, “We missed the end of the movie,” while jutting his chin towards the tv.  You moved over to grab the remote, shutting off the dvd player and the tv.  Turning back towards him, you pulled at his legs, motioning him to lay down on the sofa.  

“It’s ok, our happy ending is the only thing I care about right now,” you countered as you crawled over his body, stretching out to let them press together completely as another makeout session began.  His hands moved down your body until they reached your ass and he was able to grab a hold of it.  You kept yours cradling his face, running your fingers through his hair.  As you planted a kiss on the beauty mark on his left cheek you told him how much you loved it.   

“Whaddya love? My mole?  Why?”

“I don’t know. I just always noticed it in photos.  You have such a classic and beautiful face.  It’s almost like God made it and said, ‘Nope this won’t work, he’s too perfect.  Let me add something to make it imperfect,’ so he added the mark there and a few others and then stood back and shook his head saying, ‘Well shit.  That fuckin’ backfired.’”

Chris dropped his head back into the cushion, barking out a laugh even as he turned red from your words.  “You’ve got some imagination sweetheart.”

“That I do,” you agreed, pecking another kiss over the little dot.  “You know what else I love?”

Bringing his hands up to run through your hair he softly asked, “What?”

“These plush lips.”  Lowering your head, you sucked his bottom lip into your mouth, tugging on it with your teeth slightly at the end.  

You felt his cock twitch against you and knew he liked it.  After sucking his lip again you changed to just touching the tip of your tongue to his.  He played along, letting you control things.  The tips of your tongues slowly danced around each other, rolling and circling in a hot, open mouthed kiss.  He was hard as a rock against your pelvis and you were grinding into him, having moved your legs up to straddle his hips.  Hot breath mingling, there was a pause where no tongues touched, just air exchanged before he assaulted your mouth, breaking it off after a minute to move down your throat with sucking kisses.  

“Why don’t we move this party into the bedroom?” he asked huskily, trying to regain his breathing.

“Bedroom...yeah, that’s a good idea,” you agreed as you panted out the words.  “I’d really like to shower before we do anything though, feeling kinda gross from the day and the beach.”

“I’m with ya.  Why don’t you go on ahead. I’ve gotta check a few things for tomorrow on my phone.  I’ll take one after you’re done.”

After one last quick kiss you climbed off the couch, earning a light smack on the ass when you passed Chris to walk out of the room.  Hopefully that wouldn’t be the last of those for the night. 

Turning on the hot water, you let it run in order to heat it up as you stripped out of your clothes and tossed them in the hamper.  Your hair was still clean so you just tied it up into a topknot and stepped in.  The hot water was heavenly as it sluiced down the muscles in your body that were beginning to ache a bit from the new exercises you’d been doing this weekend.  

Part of the reason you wanted to be alone in here was so that you could stretch and let the water relax the tension you were feeling.  There was no way in hell you were letting Chris know, he was protective and could easily decide you’d had enough for one weekend.  That was not happening, not with him leaving tomorrow and having another few weeks before you’d see him again.  

The more you thought about him the more your brain formulated a plan of attack for tonight’s activities.  He had the best body you had ever had the pleasure to touch and there were so many things you wanted to do with and to him.  There just wasn’t enough hours in the night.  

After finishing, more of the sensual Jasmine Vanilla lotion was applied and you wrapped your body in a towel before making your way down the hall to check on Chris.  He was on the phone and held up a finger when he spotted you.  Taking the hint to keep quiet you mouthed to him that the bathroom was all his and went into the bedroom to prepare a few things.  

Chris passed by just a minute or so later as you were pulling out the silky and lacy black camisole and shorts set that was part of Dani’s gift.  When he peered into the room you quickly dropped it back into the drawer, wanting it to be a surprise.  

“All done with your calls for the night, hon?”

Walking into the room he grabbed you by the waist and pulled you against him, answering you with a luscious kis.  

“I am all yours, and fahck! You always smell amazing after a shower!”

“Thank you, now go take yours so we can get down to business.”

“Yes, ma’am!” he saluted as he bounded out the door and took off down the hallway.  Athletic little fucker.

Turning back to the lingerie drawer, you pulled out the outfit again, removing and draping your towel over a nearby chair and then slipped into tonight’s attire.  Going to the Captain America box of fun, you pulled out a few condoms and the jar of honey dust, along with the big poof that helped apply it.  

Resting the items on the nightstand, you climbed into bed and waited, your mind thinking over what you’d already done this weekend.  Just the memories alone made your nipples firm and your pussy clench.  Without being conscious of it, your hands went to those places as you closed your eyes and imagined what you would do next with Chris.  

Touching yourself was how Chris found you as he leaned against the doorframe.  “Whoa! Starting without me?  Now I could get used to watching this...”

He was clad in only a towel that was slung low across his hipbones and was held closed by a knot he was holding onto with one hand as he gestured with the other, a sexy smirk upon his face.  

That body and that face got your heart racing, he was absolutely gorgeous standing there.  Rolling up onto your knees you straightened your arm, pointed at him and sang like Prince, “You sexy mutha fucka!”  He fell back against the doorway for a moment roaring with laughter, while you proceeded to pop your hips as you curled a finger at him and kept the song going, “Sexy mutha fucka, shaking that ass, shakin that ass...” 

Chris played along, pouting his lips and trying to keep a sexy face on instead of laughing while he gyrated his hips like a stripper.  He started strutting slowly towards the bed, a few steps at a time, and you dropped down onto all fours, crawling towards him while continuing to sing.  Well, not so much crawled as slowly prowled to the rhythm of the song.  

He went for it full tilt, doing a little spin, then opening the towel with one hand, then closing it and opening the other side, flashing you a peek at his growing erection as he shook it with his hips.  His abs flexed as he contracted them and the way he looked right now was making your mouth water.  

Once Chris reached the bed you raised yourself back onto your knees and you lunged at each other, laughing and kissing.  His hands slid down your back to your ass and he squeezed the generous mounds, pushing you towards his body for a few minutes before releasing you to check you over.

“Nicole, you look so fahcking hot in that!”

“Thank you, it was part of the box that Dani sent.  I’ll tell her you approve of her taste.”

“I really like her,” he nodded approvingly, eyes dancing.  “So, what-evah shall we do tonight?”

Pushing him back a bit, you stepped off the bed, “I think the first thing I need to do is inspect this body of yours.  You’ve been cheating a lot this weekend, gotta make sure you’re still in super soldier shape,” you explained, dragging your nails across his stomach as you looked him over, walking around behind him to check him out.  

Starting as his neck, you splayed your fingers and let them trace the outlines of his muscular back, leaning forward to kiss it in certain spots.  When they reached his ass you bent down and took a nip of his left cheek.  

“Did you just bite my ass?” he asked with a small chuckle, clearly taken by surprise.

“Yes. I. Did.  You’ve got a heinie worthy of biting and I couldn’t help myself.  I swear I could bounce a quarter off of this thing,” you theorized, taking the tight mounds into your hands and giving them a squeeze.  

Releasing them you let your hands slide around his hips and spread them across his taut belly, then slid your right hand down until you reached his dick.  Slowly you began stroking it as you planted more kisses onto the back of his neck and shoulders.  

“Well, your backside seems to be doing just fine, but I think I need to give the front a closer inspection.”

Releasing him, you stepped around to the nightstand and picked up the honey dust and gently dipped the puffer into it.  

Beginning at his throat, you ran the shimmery powder in a line down his chest, across to his nipples, down his stomach and finished with an application to his cock. 

“What do you plan to do with this?” he questioned, watching your progress.

“This is a roadmap of all the places I need to inspect.  It starts up here,”  stopping your explanation to lick the sweet powder off of his neck.  Chris inhaled sharply as you sucked over a spot you knew was a particular weakness of his.

Moving your way down his chest, you flicked at his nipples, sucking the hardened peaks into your mouth as you swiped up the dust.  Following the trail down, you lowered your butt to sit at the edge of the bed.  From here you could take your time exploring his ripped abdomen. 

Licking and sucking your way across Chris’ abs had long been a fantasy of yours and this was your opportunity to make it a reality.  Flattening your tongue, you worked it upwards a few inches at a time as you made your way down the center ridge of pecs down to his abs.  Each square of muscle got attention, your hands held onto his waist, fingers gripping the sides.  His hands moved to your shoulders, holding onto you tightly as you worked, little moans of pleasure escaping you both.  Following his happy trail you moved off the bed and let yourself slide down to your knees.  

Looking up to make sure you had his full attention, you took a light hold of his cock, positioned your tongue at the base, and licked up the length with a broad flat tongue, sucking just the tip once you reached it. 

“Faaaaaahhkk Nicole!” he groaned, twisting his hands into your hair.  

Releasing the tip you slid your mouth around to the side, making your way back down the base and back up, sucking at the sides and running your tongue along the veins.  Another quick suck of the tip and then you repeated the motion on the other side, getting his dick coated in your saliva.  

When you came back to the tip there was a drop of precum forming there.  Watching until he had his eyes opened and trained on you again, you swiped it off with your tongue.  

The action must have hit home because a second later he leaked more. You took it into your mouth again, savoring the salty fluid that was unique to this man.  It wasn't something you usually liked, but for some reason with Chris you didn't mind it.  

Deciding to stop teasing, you plunged your mouth down his length until he went as far as you could handle, then continued the motion, letting him thrust his hips and set the pace he wanted.  You withdrew him and tucked his dick up against his belly, moving your mouth downwards to give some attention to his balls.  After sucking one into your mouth you got a reaction you were hoping for. 

He made a strangled sound above you before groaning with pleasure, “Jesus Christ! Do that again!!”

His wish was your command and you continued to pleasure him, taking note of the things that got the best reactions for another time.  Chris seemed to have a thing for the visuals and you happily obliged, making a show of how much you were enjoying him. 

“You look so sexy down there on your knees,” he said after a groan as he fisted your hair in his hands. You hummed around him, the words and his actions exciting you. 

After another few minutes you could hear Chris’ breath starting to become ragged, his hips had been thrusting hard but he was suddenly pulling back as he whispered your name to get your attention. 

“Nicole, baby, I don’t want you to...but you gotta stahp.  C’mere,” he said, pulling you up to stand in front of him.  In a split second he had you in his arms and moving towards the wall beside your nightstand, pressing you up against it.   

Looking hungrily into your eyes, he made sure he had your attention this time.  “My time to show, your turn to tell me how much you love it.”

  
  



	29. Dim All The Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris makes Nicole's fantasy come to life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW 18+ Smut warning: graphic penetrative sex, oral sex, language

Pinned against the wall, Chris took ahold of the back of your head and gave you a sizzling kiss that took your breath away.  Two days of growth was starting to make his face a little stubbly and rough, a sensation that was new to you and one you liked very much. He let his hands slowly drift down your neck and they began feeling their way around your body. It seemed that everywhere they touched left a feeling of fire in its wake.  

Chris broke the kiss and moved his mouth to your chin, planting small light kisses in a trail up towards your ear.  When he got near it he voiced his confession in a raspy whisper. “I love this body. It’s so sexy. So _voluptuous_...”  

While he spoke his hands spread out with one resting between your shoulder blades and the other on your lower back.  Pressing his body against yours, all you could feel were the many hard and chiseled parts of him.  His hands went on the move again, caressing all of your curves before taking a firm grasp of your ass.  One hand grazed down your thigh to lift your right leg and hook it over his hip.  

Once he was satisfied that you would keep it there, he resumed holding you in his strong arms. Automatically, your hips began undulating as he rubbed his bare dick over your folds through the silky shorts. Your upper back was arched slightly off the wall with your head falling back to rest upon it.  With your eyes closed, all your concentration was focused on the feel of his hard cock and the things it was doing to you.

You were already so aroused that if the shorts weren't there for a barrier he could easily have slipped inside of you.

Returning his mouth to yours, you exchanged another searing kiss as he continued to grind.  When he started to make his way down the other side of your throat he moved your leg so that you could stand on both again.  

Chris made a path down your collarbone to the top of your camisole. Taking hold of your breasts, he let them rest in his palms for a moment, gently cupping them before rolling his thumbs over your nipples.  The fabric caused delicious friction.  

“Hey, eyes on me Nicole,” he commanded when you closed them again.  

Obeying immediately you opened them and met his bedroom eyes which were dark and playful.

Feeling the vibe, you taunted back while giving your body a little shimmy against his, “Since when did you start getting all bossy?  Not that I mind, it’s kinda hot actually.”

He chuckled softly, giving you a crooked smile. Drawing his words out and letting his accent fly he explained, “Since I wanna make sure that my lov-uh gets exactly what she wants.”

The term “lover” was never really something you liked. To be honest, it was kinda cringe worthy, but for some reason hearing it out of his mouth with that Boston bad boy accent completely changed your mind about it.  

Chris moved in closer and brought his face just inches apart from yours.  You could feel the warmth of his breath and your chest pushed against his as he moved his thumbs across your aching peaks again.

“What’s my next move, Nicole?  What do you desire?”

Rather matter of factly, you poked a finger into his chest and declared, “Your _lov-uh_ , would like you to swipe your tongue over her nipples instead of your thumbs...preferably before she loses her mind.”

“As you wish,” he replied softly as he gathered the hem of your camisole.  Your arms went up with the fabric allowing him to strip it off you.  Once the top was off he clasped your wrists with his hands and held them above your head.  Maintaining his control over you, he captured your lips once again and your bodies writhed against one another in a slow dance.  

After releasing your hands, he moved his way down to your breasts where he flicked his tongue quickly over the tip of your nipple a few times.  It sent a shot of electricity straight to your clit, causing you to emit a lusty moan.  He stopped the flicking and finally took a hold of your tit firmly and sucked hard.  When he gently nibbled on one, raking his teeth against the sensitive flesh, you gasped with pleasure. Your hands grasped the back of his shoulders and your fingers dug in a bit.  The rush you were getting from this was making your head spin.

It only got worse when he stood up with his eyes darkened and fixed on yours, then dragged his thumb slowly over your mouth, letting it pull down your lower lip, before continuing lower to your chin and onto your throat.  

With puppy dog eyes and barely suppressed humor he asked, “Nicole, is it okay if I eat your pussy now?”

It felt like the Amazon just started running between your thighs.  Never in your life had you experienced this level of pleasure and fun in the bedroom.  In one weekend he managed to ruin you for all other men.  A fleeting thought passed through your head that with any luck, maybe there wouldn’t have to be any others.  

A coy smile played upon your lips as you pretended to think it over, shrugging a little as you informed him, “If you really want to. I guess I’d be fine with it.”

“Tasting you on my tongue is _all_ I want right now,” he replied huskily with a devilish grin on his face.  Those gorgeous eyelashes of his gazed down your body with a long sweep and then he sank to his knees before you.  

Surprised you asked, “Wait, you’re gonna do it right here?”   

Before you could finish the sentence Chris’ tongue was already taking its first swipe across your clit.  A surprised “Oh!” was all you could get out.

After that you weren’t really capable of speech as he sucked and nibbled on your clit then nuzzled into your folds.  His hands were squeezing your ass and holding you in place while you buried yours in his hair.  

You looked down when he stopped, curious as to what he was up to.  That’s when you saw him take hold of your right leg again as he raised it to rest over his shoulder.  You were now completely exposed and at his mercy.  

“Are you okay in this position, Nic?”

“It’s a totally new one for me but, yeah.  I’m good.”

There was that sinful smile again as he watched you from his spot. “You’re so wet already, I can’t wait to lick this up.”   With a pointed tongue he plunged right into your core, doing exactly what he wished for.  

Chris lapped at your juices, feasting upon you like a man starved.  The way he worked you with his tongue caused your body to tremble.  

Your hands and back flattened against the wall to help keep your balance. The moans that he was eliciting from you were getting loud and you had to bite them back, reminding yourself there were neighbors on the other side of the wall.

As much as you fought against it, the now familiar coil began to ebb and throb, sending the signal that you were about to come undone.  Unsure if you should let the release happen you let Chris know.  

Instead of stopping you felt him double down his efforts, the stubble on his face rasping against your inner thigh, as he sucked with abandon. You dissolved into the pleasure of it and began coming so hard your body became weak.  

Chris helped lower your thigh from his shoulder and stood up, wiping his mouth along the way.  Meeting his gaze, you regarded him with complete bewilderment.  He really was unlike any man you’d ever been with.  

Closing in and holding you by the waist he urged, “Why don’t you go lie down and I’ll give you a back massage.”

That did it, now you knew you were dreaming. You slowly nodded in agreement, not yet fully comprehending reality.  But it didn’t matter, when your dream _lov-uh_ took you by the hand and walked you to the bed you very happily floated along on that cloud.  

Pulling a pillow under your arms, you rested your chin on its edge.  Chris settled in behind you, straddling your legs. He leaned forward a bit until his hands could reach your shoulders and started off with his thumbs working into your neck before moving in circles around your shoulder blades.

“Is the pressure okay?”

“It’s perfect,”  you sighed contently.

Biting your lip for a second you decided to ask, “Not that I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth or anything, but to what do I owe this pleasure?”

Pausing, he confided, “You earned it by being the hostess with the mostest.  This has been one of the most fun and relaxing weekends I’ve had in forever.”

“It really has been.  God, I totally need to have people over more often if this is a hostess gift,” you joked as your shoulders relaxed under the fingers that resumed their movements.

After a minute or so he changed from his thumbs to his entire hand, using the full size of them to ease the tension out of your upper back by sliding them across and then down all the way to your hips. Your body jumped a little and a giggle escaped when he accidently brushed over a ticklish spot on the side of your waist.  Chris let out a soft laugh and apologized.

“Sorry about that. Was trying to make this relaxing.”

“Oh it is, and I’m sorry to say you may regret letting me know about this skill you have.

“You think I’m that good?”

Turning your head to look over your shoulder at him you assured, “Baby, everything about you is good.”  You saw the contented smile forming over his face as you turned your head back to center and he began to move again.

After a few more strokes he stopped and leaned over you, reaching towards the nightstand.

“Speaking of good, I think it’s my turn to get some use of this.”  After dipping the puff into the pot of honey dust, he stroked it lightly down your spine from your neck all the way down to your rear, moving the feathery item over both cheeks with a quick flick of his wrist. It tickled in certain spots and you jumped a tiny bit at the sensation.  

Your body practically melted into the bed at the powerfully sensual way he licked the sweet powder off of your body.  Using his tongue in a long broad swipe, he made his way up to your shoulder blade and ended there with a sucking kiss, gnawing just a bit before releasing your flesh. It sent a shiver through your body and you found yourself squirming beneath his touches, a smile dancing across your lips the entire time.

He worked his way back down, following the trail he made.  When he gave you a heine bite in retaliation you couldn’t help but yelp quickly and laugh into the pillow.

Chris resumed the massage and his thumbs came back into play, this time grazing over your ass and pushing into the muscles of your lower back.  Instinctively, you raised your hips every time he did this, your body longing to be touched a bit more intimately.  

Eventually he stopped working your upper body and focused his attention strictly lower, running his hands over and around the sides of your ass and outlining it.  He changed the direction of the strokes from starting at the top and then to starting at the bottom. This caused your cheeks to spread a little wider with every pass.  

His thumbs kept ghosting over your swollen lips between your legs, never quite making contact, but still bringing a quiver to your body.  The feelings of his hands felt so sublime that you kept alternating between sighs and low moans, the latter becoming the more prevalent as his hands got closer and closer to your aching center.   

Satisfied that you were sufficiently tortured, Chris slid his hand between your legs, coating two fingers in your wetness and using it as lube.  He pressed the tips of those fingers against your now throbbing pussy where your body quickly engulfed them into your warmth.  He started to pump into you in a slow deep rhythm.  Your upper body lifted, forearms now braced on the bed as you arched your lower back and raised your ass to give him more access, hips moving to match his hand movements.  

In a deep voice he asked, “I see my girl likes this.  Do you want me to keep using my hand or would you like something else?  I’m really hopin’ you’re wanting something else...” this as his movements slowed.

It was now or never, he was giving you a chance to finally feel the kind of crazy, passionate sex you’d been craving for so long.  This wasn’t an opportunity you were going to pass up.

Rising up on your hands you threw the locks off of your inhibitions and turned your upper body so that you could look directly at him stating, “Something else. I need your cock.  I want you to fuck me.”

He withdrew his hand and you moved straight up onto your knees with your back pressed against his chest. Chris pulled you towards him and kissed you desperately, then slid a hand across your breasts holding you tight against him.  When he pinched a nipple it amped up your arousal even more.  You stopped the kiss to drop forward and snatch a condom off the table next to the bed, tearing it open as you came back to him.  He sheathed himself quickly as you watched, your eyes unable to look away from the incredibly sexy man you were about to give yourself over to.

Chris moved his hand onto your lower back and stroked it upwards and directed your body into position.  You spread your legs and he moved himself between them, taking hold of his hard dick to guide it into you.  Penetrating you slowly, you were able to feel every delicious inch of his length and your inner muscles tightened around his erection in response.

“Ohhhh fuck, it feels so good to be inside you.  I love when you squeeze me like that.”

"Like this?” you asked innocently as you did it again.  

All teasing ended when he started to move.  After that there was nothing but bliss as he took a hold of your hips and began to thrust, getting in so deep you could feel his balls slap against your sensitive lips.  He alternated the speed and depth, learning what got the biggest reactions from you.  You felt wanton and wild. He had a way of bringing out parts of you that had lain dormant for way too long.

You had to see what he looked like and had to read his face to see if this felt half as good to him as it did to you.  Turning your head to look behind, you saw that ridiculously perfect body moving as he fucked you. Muscles taut and beginning to shine with sweat, his head was tilted back and his eyes were closed. The veins in his neck and arms were all popped up while he rolled his hips forward, with his fingers sinking into your hips. You could see his chest quickly rising and falling as his own breathing came in hard.

Yeah, he was definitely enjoying this!  He happened to look back down right before you turned away and caught your eye, a hint of the devil coming into his, as he stopped thrusting and pulled out almost completely. When he was at just the tip he stayed there, giving you nothing but extremely shallow and gentle thrusts, essentially torturing you.

You turned your head away, waiting for his next move, for him to stop the teasing, but he just kept it going. Still up on all fours you threw your head back and panted, “Chris, I swear to God you’re killing me right now!”

“Whatcha gonna do about it?” he taunted.

“This!” you declared as you pushed your body back the next time he entered, impaling yourself on his dick.  Your ass met his lower abdomen and you were back on track.

“Faachk! Holy shit, Nicole!”

“Girls gotta do what she’s gotta do,” you said with a chuckle as you took over for a bit, rocking yourself as he stayed stationary, letting you take control of the pace and do the work.  His hands were running along your lower body, gripping and kneading your flesh as his pleasure grew.

Chris leaned forward, arching himself over your back and resting his own hands onto the bed along side yours.  You tucked into him, tilting your hips as you leaned forward a bit.  

This new angle felt absolutely incredible and allowed him to sink even deeper within you, each entry hitting a new spot that had you both panting and moaning.

While he was buried to the hilt he stopped thrusting and lifted a hand up into your hair, using it as a way to control your head as he placed fiery, sucking kisses over your neck and tops of your shoulders.  Working his way up the side of your throat he excited you further by taking your earlobe into his mouth and gently biting it.

The steamy breath and low whisper he used as he murmured words of passion into your ear felt so intimate.  It heightened the experience even more, like it was a secret between just the two of you.  

Chris continued pumping, giving hard, slow thrusts while still deep inside you.  He lowered the hand that had been in your hair and moved it across your chest, playing with your breasts, still sucking the sensitive spot on your neck that made you feel hazy.

The room was filled with the sounds of sex.  There was no more playing as he took you lustily - only the sounds of complete ecstasy, with a few prayers to God mixed in with your names, was as close as you got to talking now.  

As soon as he released you from his hold you got back up onto your hands and knees and straightened your spine then began stretching forward.  He dragged his nails along your ass before giving it a light swat.  You gushed around him and let out a choked moan at the sensation.  His hands moved to your shoulders and he held you by them as he started to pound into your pussy sending your level of pleasure skyrocketing.   

“Chris, I don’t think I’m gonna hold out much longer.  Fuck this feels amazing!” you stammered, falling forward onto your forearms.

“You don’t have to...I’m so close,” he replied in a strained voice.

With that he released your shoulders and reached for your hands entwining his fingers with yours.  You allowed his body to push yours into the mattress and kept your hips a bit elevated.  He let go of your hand for a moment to reposition himself back inside of you.  

After a few slow pumps he started to power fuck you, penetrating you deeply.  Your bodies moved together and both of you were breathing raggedly in between the frantic moans filling the air. You were gripping your pillow with your free hand, squeezing his with the other.  Chris kept his free hand flat against the bed, using his arm for leverage.

Your orgasm started and wouldn’t stop with wave after wave crashing over you.  The primal sounds coming out of your throat were barely recognizable as your own.

“Did you finish?  I don’t know how much longer I can hold back,” he asked in a shaky voice.

“I’m there, it just won't crest,” you answered him, almost whining as the orgasm continued but wouldn't end.

“‘I’ve got you,” he assured, reaching his hand around to your pussy and pushing his fingers over your clit, working it hard and fast.  That did it.  You came with such force that you had to bury your face into the pillow to swallow the sound as you practically screamed while pleasure was exploding inside of you.  

Over the loud thrumming in your ears as your blood raced, you heard him quickly letting out a string of obscenities before he bit your shoulder to help stifle the sound of his own groans when he came.  He gave a few last deep, hard bucks followed by a quick pounding while he was buried to the hilt in you.  The friction set off one last wave for you, your muscles fluttered around his pulsing cock and your toes curled as a fresh round of whimpers came out of you. Your throat was beginning to feel raw.  

Chris collapsed on top of you, his breath coming in like he just ran a marathon.  When he tried to roll off you just held his fingers tighter.

“No, please, don’t move just yet, don’t leave me,” you all but begged, pulling his hands in close to your sides.  You could feel his body relax on top of yours and together you both came down from the high of the experience.  His heart was pounding so hard you were able to feel it beating against your back.  Being wrapped up in him like this just felt right. So did the tiny kisses he kept placing up on your shoulder.

After a few minutes, when you were both breathing normally again, he withdrew from your body and rolled off of you, making his way to the bathroom to clean up.  Now drenched in sweat you rolled onto your back and let your hand rest upon your finally calming heart.  You started running through the events that just took place, sealing them into your memory vault to relive later.  

It took a few minutes for your brain to register that the bath water was running and not stopping.  Curiosity finally won out over fatigue and you hauled yourself out of the bed.  You began walking towards the chair with the towel to wrap yourself in, for modesty’s sake, then realized that over the course of this weekend Chris had officially seen every inch of your body from every angle.

There was no longer anything to hide, so instead of covering up you decided to just own it.  You crept your way down the hall to see what he was up to. “No good” was kind of becoming the answer to that question.

After peeking around the open door to observe for a moment, you watched as he jumped when you drawled out, “Well, well well, snooping again are we?”

Chris was leaning against the sink, poking through a box of bath bombs.  With a crooked smile he countered, “I wasn’t snooping, I was looking for toothpaste.”  

Pointing to the cup behind him that held your toothbrushes and the tube of paste in question you looked back at him with raised brows.  He simply gave you a boyish grin before looking back down at the box, shoulders shaking as he chuckled at himself.

Sidling up next to him with a tight lipped grin of your own, you explained the contents he was looking at.  

“Jade made them, it’s kind of a hobby of hers.  They’re Harry Potter sorting bath bombs.  All of them are white now but once it hits the water the color will change and tell you what house you belong in.”  

Impressed, he nodded while taking one out and inspecting it further.  “That’s pretty cool, I never would’ve known this could change like that.”

“Now for the bigger question.  Why are you running a bath?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at him while moving in closer, a coy smile dancing upon your lips.

He settled the ball back into the box and placed it on the counter.  The room was beginning to fill up with steam, even with the door wide open and you reached back to close it behind you to keep it from escaping.

Taking hold of you by the hips, he held you in a warm embrace, grazing small kisses over your lips as he explained, “When I was massaging your back I could feel the tension in it.  There were some knots I couldn’t quite take care of.  Not gonna lie, I was eager to get to the good stuff,” you both shared a quick laugh before he continued, “Anyways, I realized I’d kinda put your body through the wringer this weekend and you could probably use a nice, hot soak.  Especially after tonight.”

You eyes widened now, a warm smile breaking across your face.  Placing your palm against his cheek you admitted honestly, “You are the most thoughtful and amazing man I have ever met.”

With a look that could only be described as “Aw shucks” he released his hold and picked a bath bomb. “Who wouldn’t want to take care of you?  Don’t you deserve to be pampered and treated right?”  

There was no way you could answer that, not with the rush of feelings hitting you all at once. Looking into those deep blue pools, it was hard for your brain to comprehend that you’d only met this man a month ago.  He had already become such a fixture and anchor in your life.  You weren’t the kind of woman that threw caution to the wind, or allowed people into your heart easily. In fact, your past had made you quite guarded.  

Trust had to be earned, your brain had to be wooed before any other part of you could be.  Chris came out of nowhere and managed to succeed on all fronts where everyone else had failed.  It both terrified and exhilarated you at the same time.  So, did you deserve to be treated well?  You always thought so.  Did you ever expect to meet a man that would do it? Highly unlikely.  

None of the thoughts racing through your mind came out of your mouth.  How many of them came across your face you had no idea.  Instead you did what you always did best and diffused the moment with humor.  

“I wonder what house I’ll be sorted into?”

Looking confused, he started to ask what you were talking about before the realization hit him that you meant the bath bombs.  

“Damn, you’re good at changin’ subjects.  I’ll let it slide...this time.”  He planted another kiss and turned to shut off the water. “Would you like to do the honors, or shall I?” he asked, holding the ball out in case you wanted to take it.  

“You can do it.  I’m guessing I’ll end up with yellow for Hufflepuff.”

“Let’s see.  And away we go,” he quipped as he dropped the ball into the water.  Within a few seconds the water became fizzy and blue. You grabbed a hair tie and pulled your tresses up into a messy bun.

“Huh, Ravenclaw.  I can see that one too,” you confirmed with a nod as you took the now empty hand being offered to you and stepped into the tub.  As you lowered yourself into the hot water you joked, “Guess in a way it’s better than Hufflepuff.  That one would’ve looked like sitting in a tub full of pee.”  

When he slapped his hand to his chest and laughed you smiled widely and felt your shoulders shake with laughter.  He was such a goofball.

Chris was also definitely right about your sore muscles.  Your body instantly began to relax and the scent added to the bomb began to lightly perfume the air with lavender.  

You watched as he opened the linen cabinet to pull out a clean washcloth, barely suppressing the urge to call him out on knowing where everything in your bathroom was.  

“Ooh, bonus! Didn't know these were in here!” he said excitedly while pulling out a few candles and the lighter you kept in there beside them.

He set them on the counter and on the top of the closed toilet seat, then lit the wicks before dimming the lights. You watched in amusement as he nodded quickly to himself, looking around, apparently satisfied that he’d set the romantic mood well.

He knelt down on the rug in front of the tub and dipped the washcloth into the steamy water before passing it around your neck.  

“Mmm, that feels so good,” you sighed, sinking in a little deeper.  “I have to remember to add a soaking tub to my ‘Dream House’ board on Pinterest.”

Giving the cloth another dip and starting to run it over your boobs, cause apparently they were there and begging for attention, he chimed in which a soft chuckle, “A soaking tub would probably go great with the other stuff you have there.  You may need two houses to fit everything you want though.”

It seemed like a lifetime ago but it was really only yesterday morning that he admitted he’d been investigating you for months.  And yet you’d already completely forgotten about the fact that he had been seeing your Pinterest boards.  You weren’t necessary mad about it, but the fact that he so casually threw it out there caught you by surprise and you reacted as such.

“Fuck you Snoopy!”  Catching each other’s eyes you realized a nickname had just been born and he immediately started to backpedal, desperately trying to make it not stick.

“I didn’t mean it like - I just meant that there are a lot of pins for different rooms and…”

“And you know this because you’re a shnoop. _Shnoopy_!”

“Ah fahck,” he murmurred, head lowered to his chest as slowly shook it from side to side.

“Yep...” you confirmed, popping your “P.”

Deciding to end the torture, you cleared your throat to get his attention.  “It’s okay Chris, I told you, I’m not mad about it.  Just a bit surprised I forgot.  You’re right though, I do have a lot of pins in there for that board,” you admitted with a slightly embarrassed smile.  

Resuming with the washcloth he pointed out, “You seem to have a love for old looking stuff, ya know, antiques and whatnot.”

“I do,” you nodded in agreement.  “Anything old farmhouse style.  I went to a cousin’s house recently after they renovated everything top to bottom.  She put a farmhouse sink in the kitchen and one in the downstairs bathroom.  I nearly creamed myself.”

“Over a sink?” he asked comically in disbelief.  

“Over the sinks, over the butcher block counters, the wide plank floors, the table, the fixtures...really just everything!  It’s like her house walked out of my dreams.  I didn’t even ask to see the upstairs.” you admitted as you lifted your leg from the tub, pushing your toes against the cool tile for a moment.  

“Why not?”

“Because if it was half as perfect as the downstairs she would’ve found me hiding in a walk-in closet, bawling my eyes out as I criticized my life choices and threatening to not leave.  I didn’t need another weird moment that day.”

“Oh lord, what do you mean by ‘another’ weird moment? What did you do, crazy pants?”

Turning away from him, you ran your finger over a bead of water on the tile of the wall.  With a quick shrug with your shoulders you admitted sheepishly, “She may have caught me fondling her Edison bulbs.”

“Fondling her what?!” he asked as his chest started to shake with laughter.

“Her light bulbs, they were off at the time, not like they were hot or anything,” you justified.  “All of her light fixtures are clear glass and have Edison bulbs and I’m in love with that look.  Just couldn’t help myself.”

When his laughter began to subside you decided to relight it by quietly and sadly saying, “I’m glad you find this amusing, especially considering I may not be invited back.”  

As he bubbled over with laughter you were again proud of yourself for being the source of the wonderful stream of it.

Once he got control again the washcloth came back into motion and he continued to help you relax.  You compared decorating styles, shared likes and dislikes, what his homes looked like, what your influences were.  

“The water’s starting to cool off, don’t want you getting all pruney,” he chastised with a finger wag.  “Is your towel still in the bedroom?” he asked, already rising from his perch next to the tub.

“Mmhmm, draped over the chair.”

“I’ll be right back with it,”  he informed you while giving your lips another smack with his. Your eyes feasted upon the view of his naked body which was lit by candlelight. You admired the way his muscles moved and that sexy walk of his. After all, a little fangirling never hurt anyone.

Leaning forward you flipped the drain stopper to let the water start to go down as you stood up to step out of the tub.  Chris arrived seconds later, turning on the lights and blowing out the candles before wrapping the towel around you.  His large hands moved up and down your arms to pat the water dry.  It was endearing and you couldn’t hide the sweet, shy smile as you watched him work.  

He lifted your chin with his finger, bringing your lips up for another tender kiss. God he was such a mush, and you were loving every single second of it.  “Feel a little looser?” he checked.

“I do, thank you Shnoopy.”

“Nic..”

“Chris..”

“Nicole...” he warned

“Christopher,” you stated sternly.  “Payback’s a bitch dear.  And you deserve a lot of it for the use of ‘moist’ all day.”

He wanted to answer you back, was barely containing himself from a smart ass remark, but his momma didn’t raise a fool.  Quitting while he was ahead he let out a quick huff and brought his hands to your shoulders, leading you back to the bedroom.  

After drying the rest of your body off, you put the towel back across the chair. Crawling under the covers, you snuggled into his left shoulder, resting your head into the nook there.  Your fingertip traced the serene words tattooed upon his chest before you finally flattened your hand, letting it rest over the quote. This felt right.  You were claiming this spot. It was now officially your favorite place to be.  

You asked him about the tattoo, wanting more detail than what you’d read about online. He shared the effect Tolle’s work had on him and how it helped him remain sane within the crazy industry, and how it also helped control his anxiety.  The next hour or so was spent discussing each other’s passions, philosophies, what gave your lives true meaning and purpose.  He liked that you questioned him about things and wanted more explanation. The way he spoke made you tease that he would’ve made a great, and sexy, professor.

You didn't always agree about things, but you were at least able to debate in a way that was still supportive of each other’s viewpoints, but never demeaning or downplaying the others opinions.

It was getting late and you both had to be up early tomorrow.  He lifted an arm to shut off the lamp on your nightstand. The ceiling filled with the stars from the nightlight again.

“Y’know, you have a perfectly good lamp right hea’ for that Edison bulb kink of yours.”

Rolling your eyes hard, you declined to answer, letting the thunk of your forehead into his chest speak for you.

“Just saying, keep it this close and you can fondle and rub it any time you want.”

Two more “bang head here” thuds and stifled laughter caused Chris to erupt with his own, completely amused with himself and your reaction.

Changing position a bit to lay your chin upon his chest, you let your fingers stroke through his chest hair.  His hand came up to play with you hair, pulling out the tie and letting it fall against his body.

“It doesn't pay for me to start changing things now. I’ve been saving up for a few years and in two more I’ll have a good sized down payment on a house of my own with all the Edison bulbs I could ever want.”

Chris hand came up to take a hold of yours, holding it against his heart as he looked at you, his expression unreadable.

“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. A nest egg is always important. But a lot can change in 2 years. You never know what the future could hold.” He gave your hand a quick squeeze.

Don't dwell on that squeeze Nicole, do not let your mind elaborate on what it could mean coupled with his words.

Maybe he just had a spasm.

Glancing at his eyes long enough to just make contact for a second while you gave him a tight smile, you slid off his chest and got cozy against his side again.

“So what are your plans for Boston over the next few days?”

Throwing his hand up in the air exasperated, he let out a deep sigh. “Man are you good at that.”  His fingers started to thrum against his chest and he gave you a rundown of how he would be spending his time before returning to Atlanta.

Chris was the first to yawn. A few seconds later you joined him.  With a playful swat to the arm you declared, “You gave me the yawnie’s ya bastid!”

Turning on his side to face you he pulled you in closer, tucking you into his broad upper chest.

“Sorry about that, I’m wiped.  I spent the weekend with this insatiable woman. No talking, just sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, SEX.”

He earned another smack, this one a little harder.

“I swear to GAHD I think I sprained my dick.”

“You’re an asshole,” you chided, taking a quick nip at the pec in front of your mouth.

“Ow!” he chirped, bringing a hand to rub over your back.  

“Don’t be such a pussy, I barely put any pressure into it.”

“I’ll have you know I’m a delicate little flower.”

“Delicate my ass.  And as cozy as this is…dude you’re hot as hell!”

“Why thank you,” he added smugly.

“Yeah, yeah, I mean I’m getting smothered in here!”  You flipped over, changing into a spoon position against him.  Now this was the way to go.  He curled his arm around your waist and took your hand inside of his larger one, falling asleep within a few minutes.  

You lay awake for a bit longer, thinking over the weekend, trying to figure out how the hell you were going to let him go tomorrow.  And every time after that.  It hurt your brain to think about it, hurt your heart too.  Like Scarlet said, “I won’t think about it today, I’ll think about it tomorrow.”  

Pulling his hand a bit closer, you used a fingertip from your free hand to wipe away a tear that escaped.

Matching your breaths to his rhythm, you looked up at the ceiling and counted stars until you were finally able to sink into the abyss, your thoughts slowing down and becoming less coherent.  In the morning you woke up feeling refreshed, and really, really sore.

You also woke up feeling a very hard erection poking you in the back.  

Guess it wasn’t sprained after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration for this chapter was "Feelin' Love" by Paula Cole


	30. It's just emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole spend their last morning together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW 18+ sexual situations (oral sex), angst, language

Chris sensed that you’d awakened and snuggled in closer.  While planting little kisses along the top of your shoulder, his hand moved down and cupped your breast as the rest of his arm wrapped itself tighter around your body. 

“Good morning beautiful,” he murmured as his mouth made its way to your cheek.  Turning your face towards him, you met his pursed lips for the first kiss of the day. 

“Good morning handsome,” you replied sleepily, breaking the kiss to flip over and lay down on your side facing him. Looking into his beautiful blues you reached up to trail a fingertip across his cheek before pouting and whining playfully, “This is so nice. I’m already dreading waking up without you tomorrow.”   

Chris smiled softly and leaned in for another kiss, “I know the feeling. Trust me, I know the feeling.”  You dropped your hand to his sexy chest and felt your way across the hard planes of it.  

“You know you’ve completely spoiled me this weekend,” you teased.  

“Spoiled you?  How the heck have I spoiled you?”

“Just by being you.”  Tapping his nose with your index finger you warned, “You’re a very dangerous man, Mr. Evans.”

Chuckling softly he said in a deep voice, “I’ll show you dangerous,” as his hand caressed the swell of your breast before ghosting over the curve of your waist.  Your body arched into his at the touch. He continued gliding his hand downwards until he reached the back of your thigh and pulled it to hook over his hip. 

Your bottom hand reached down to stroke his growing erection as his fingertips lightly traced their way up your inner thigh, seeking the heat between your legs.  Once there, they delved into your soft curls.  Your hips rocked against his skilled fingers and everything was going fine until he attempted to play near your entrance.

“Why did you wince just then?” he asked with a mixture of curiosity and concern. While he spoke he removed the hand from between your legs and placed it on your waist.  

“It’s just a little tender down there I guess.  To be honest, my whole body is a bit sore.  I’ve got muscles hurting me I didn’t even know I had!” you half joked, because even as you laughed you felt the evidence of truth in your back. As soon as the words were out you felt his hand running up and down your lower back, almost by instinct knowing it’s what you needed just then. 

He tried to smile along with you but it didn’t reach his eyes. He avoided yours, a hint of sadness and guilt in his face, and began apologizing,  “I’m sorry Nicole, I shouldn’t have been so rough last night.”

Lifting his chin with your fingertips you made sure his attention was fully on you as you assured him, “Hey, none of that Chris.  There’s no guilt here.  I’m just totally out of shape and my pussy’s not used to a pounding like that.”

The vulgarity worked the way you hoped it would and you managed to coax a smile out of him that was a bit more genuine.  Encouraged, you continued, “I regret absolutely nothing about this weekend and I’m more than happy to walk around bowlegged or not be able to sit if it means I can have this more often with you.  But for now, as much as I’d love to give you a place to  _ paak _ the  _ caah _ , I’m afraid this garage is closed.”

Your horrible Boston accent put him over the edge and he barked out a laugh.  

His hand moved up to your hair, pushing it behind your ear then continuing to play with it.  

“When do you have to leave for work?”

While turning over you had taken a peek at the time to confirm your body had woken up at it’s normal 7 am.  “Technically I’d have to leave by 8:30 but the way I feel today I’m not going in.  I’ll tell them I pulled a muscle over the weekend and I’ll work from home.”

“You can do that?” he asked, surprised.

“Yeah, and honestly they’d prefer it over a sick day.  I know what has to get done today and it’s all stuff I can research from here.”

  
“So you could call in that option and say...go to Boston with me today and work from there for a few days?” he asked with a wag of his brow and a pout on his sensuous lips.

“No, not quite.  Technically I could telecommute full time, but I’d have to put in for that.  For example, Valentina did it to stay home for the first year after she had her baby.  The once in awhile option I can do as long as I don’t abuse it.  It’s one of the perks of being a research paralegal.”

“Ok, so not this time but maybe another?” he asked, gears moving in his head so loudly you could practically hear them.

“Maybe another time, yes.  As long as I get my work done it’s copacetic.”

“Good to know,” he said with a smile that let you know he was storing this information for later use, as he leaned in to give you another kiss.  

His kisses were your new drug.  How you were going to get along without them for weeks at a time you had no idea, but you were sure it would involve lots of twitching. 

After a few minutes you excused yourself to answer the call of nature.  After one more quick peck you emerged from the warm cocoon of covers and lovers.

“I’ll go grab us some waters and your phone so you can call into work,” Chris called out behind you.

When you returned he was sitting on the bed in a pair of boxer briefs.  In his hands he held a couple of Advil and a bottle of water.  You would’ve chastised him for knowing where these pills were but you were too grateful for his thoughtfulness.  He guided you to stand in between his legs as you took the medicine.

As soon as the pills went down and the bottle was recapped he turned his hands into a cone shape and began turning them around your nipples as if they were radio dials.  “Tune in Tokyo!  Tune in Tokyo!”  

If you hadn’t just swallowed the water he would’ve been covered in it from the laugh that emerged out of you.

“Oh. My. God.  Are you 14 again?  I haven’t had that done since junior high,” you exclaimed, shaking your head.  

“ _ Gahd _ I hope not, cause if I was 14 I couldn’t do this,” he said before taking hold of you and spinning you onto the bed and flat onto your back. Chris climbed on top and captured your lips.  Your body responded despite itself and your hands immediately moved to his hair and shoulder.  

With a devilish look he asked, “I know  _ paaking _ the  _ caah _ is off limits, but could I still play in the driveway?”

You couldn’t help but giggle, as you deemed the driveway to be safe.  As soon as the words were out he began to move south, giving your breasts a few nibbles and sucks before sliding down to lay on his belly between your thighs.

“I’ll be very gentle, I sweah.  I’ve heard an orgasm is wonderful for relieving pain so it’s worth a shot.”

There was never a need to justify doing this to you so you happily went along for the ride.  Chris cupped your buttcheeks in his hands and used them to control your hips, limiting the motion so it couldn’t aggravate your back.  He stayed near the top, concentrating on your clit and the surrounding area with a combination of licks and sucking that very slowly and lovingly brought you to a climax. Afterwards you were boneless, but completely relaxed and sated.

As you lay there recovering he gave you another kiss and said he was going to wash up and would meet you in the kitchen.  He was making you breakfast today.  Maybe you hadn’t actually woken up from your dream after all.  

With all your willpower you finally pushed yourself up and out of bed to get dressed in a pair of comfy sweats.  You called into work and, as expected, had no problem at all getting the okay to work from home.  With a yawn you walked down the hall to the kitchen and met with Chris there.  Barefoot with boxers was a great look on him.  This man was the equivalent of walking sex without even trying.  Dangerous indeed. 

“So how would my angel like her eggs?”   

Thinking for a moment you responded, “Sunny side up, please!”

“Scrambled it is!” he said with a nod, pulling out eggs and milk from the fridge as you snorted with laughter.  

Walking to a tiered basket on the counter he snatched up an onion, a pepper, and a head of garlic.  “Tell you what, you can have boring sunny side up eggs or I can make you my not-so world famous frittata.”  He was tossing the veggies from hand to hand while he spoke.  

“You got juggling skills, Evans?  Planning on running away to the circus if acting doesn’t pan out?”

“Man’s gotta have a back-up plan.”

“I’d love to try your not-so world famous frittata.  I’ll let you know if chef can be another back-up choice.”  You started walking towards the fridge asking what else he needed when he stopped you.  

“Nah uh.  You just put the coffee on and relax.  I got this, sweetheart.”  He gave you a kiss and a swat on the ass to hustle you away.”

You watched him work, cracking eggs and whisking them.  He chopped and sliced the vegetables then sauteed them in a pan with some spices, doing a little tap dance while he shook out the salt and pepper.  It was highly entertaining to watch and it felt wonderful to just relax and happily chat away the whole time.  When you got up to serve yourself some coffee, and pour a mug for him, you made it a point o caress his cute tushy on the way to the pot, then pinch it on the way back to your seat.  Each time he gave a little wiggle to shake you off and it just made you want to do it even more.  

Sitting at the table with your legs crossed, you eyed him over your steaming cup, tapping your finger thoughtfully on the edge.

“I’ve always heard that you don’t know how to cook.  That you were practically helpless at anything other than cracking open a beer?” you questioned, curious now that you had proof of the opposite.

“It’s a ruse.  I like to keep certain things private, certain things just for my loved ones.  It’s not fun to be on this side of things.  Complete strangers knowing so much about me all the time.  It can be unnerving.  So, I pretend to be hapless.”

Complete strangers knowing things about you.  Reminded you of the talk from yesterday morning.  He was right, it could be unnerving.  And in your case it was just him and a few of his people.  You couldn’t imagine a world where everything was out there.  You pushed the thought out of your head by relishing in the fact that you were seeing a side of him reserved for those “he loved.”  It made you feel very special. 

He put in a couple of slices of toast for each of you when he put the egg dish into the oven for the last few minutes.  Unable to just sit there any longer, you walked over to grab the plates and silverware and set the table. 

He brought over the steaming pan and you clapped your hands, making a big fuss over it.  God did it smell delicious, and it absolutely was.  Over breakfast you discussed the plans for today.  Since you weren’t leaving there was no reason for him to rush out.  As long as the work you had set up for today got done they weren’t too worried about what your hours were.  

“So I was thinking...” you began, before being interrupted.

“Oh no! Did it hurt your brain?”

Picking up your fork, you twirled it between your fingers while sarcastically answering,  “I was thinking that maybe I should find a swizzle stick and shove it up your pee hole, you fuckin’ smart ass.”

Covering his privates quickly, Chris grimaced as if just the thought of it pained him.  “Oww! Let’s not think that, like ever, Nicole.”

“Then don’t interrup-”

He interrupted exactly then, pushing his luck.  “Better that I’m a smart ass than a dumb one though, right?”

Pointing at him with the fork you retorted, “The jury is still out in what kind you are.  Anywaaays, I was trying to tell you that you should leave after 10am.  Rush hour traffic on Long Island is horrible.  You could leave at 8:30 or 10am and arrive at your destination at the same time.”  He agreed with the option, which had the added bonus of a little more time together.  

You got up and cleared the dishes off the table. While standing at the sink he asked, innocently enough, what you wanted to do until he left.  The question and reality you were hoping to avoid.

You’d never noticed how loud that clock in the living room was until now that it was counting down the seconds.  That pounding was all you could hear as time marched forward.  What did you want to do? There were a few options you liked, but bolting the door and refusing to let him out and kidnapping him probably wouldn't go over very well.  When he was suddenly behind you, hand reaching around to shut off the faucet, you realized you had gone into your own world. 

“You alright, hon?” Chris asked, handing you a towel as he turned you around to face him.   

“Yeah, just spaced out for a second I guess.”

“So I noticed.  I also noticed you never answered my question.” He was slowly rocking your bodies in a dance, watching your face carefully, observing everything you were thinking but not saying. 

Curiously, and of course not at all avoiding the question, you inquired,  “Umm, what song are we dancing to?”

Chris sang the answer, “ _ Baby I’m-a want you. Baby I’m-a need you, you're the only one I truly care to hurt about _ …,” while keeping a straight face for only the first few words before losing the battle and belting out the rest with a huge grin.

Dropping your head to his chest you couldn't help but smile as he serenaded you with the super sappy seventies song by Bread. It was damn catchy though and before you knew it you were grinning and singing whatever words you could each remember, and humming the rest to each other while dancing around your kitchen. 

He pulled the song up on his phone and you continued dancing along with it for real, on repeat. You’d never really listened to the words, but they were perfect for you guys. He spun you like a ballerina before doing it himself.  You almost peed yourself at the sight. God how you adored this meatball.

An embrace while dancing led to a hot as hell makeout session with you pressed against the fridge.  It was a bit cold and uncomfortable, what with the magnets and all, so you asked to go back to the bedroom. With his face held in both hands you kissed him again before adding, “I just want to be close to you until it's time to go.”  There was probably some desperation in your eyes but you didn't care. His weren't much different.

Without another word he took your hand and led you down the hall to your bedroom. After a bit more kissing you calmed down and went into snuggle mode. He pulled his phone out of his pocket.  “I have something that will make you smile,” he coaxed and proceeded to pull up a video of Dodger he took before leaving. Scrolling through, he let you watch them all. God he loved that dog, and really, who could blame him? Without being conscious of it you were rubbing your neck and back while looking at his phone.

“Why don't you roll over and I’ll see if I can do anything about your back,” he offered.  Never one to pass up a massage you did as requested. 

Today's massage was non-sexual, the total opposite of last night. Still, it brought back the memories and you felt the warmth generated by them spreading through your body.  When Chris finished and laid back down you noticed the tent pole in his shorts.  Apparently the memories were running through his mind too. 

Reaching down to stroke him through the fabric you asked, “Okay if I take care of this for you?” 

“It's alright, you don't have to if you’re not up to it.”

“I wouldn’t be offering if I wasn’t.  There's nothing wrong with my mouth.”

“I wholeheartedly agree with that statement,” he agreed with a raise of his brow.”

Leaning over him you sucked at his plump bottom lip, giving it a little nibble at the end.  “I want to,” after another kiss you whispered sexily, “I want you.”   He took your face into his hands, pulling you in for a devouring kiss.  It ended when you pulled away, moving your mouth to his throat and making your way down his body until you settled between his legs.  Pulling down his boxers to the top of his thighs, you moved your hand to stroke the velvety skin of his erection, letting it slide through your cupped hand, tracing the veins and stroking him while keeping your eyes trained on his face.    

Drawing him into your mouth you followed his lead and took care of him slowly but powerfully.  Pouring all of your emotions into it. How much you were going to miss him, how much you already did, how deeply you cared for him, how amazing he made you feel. All that passion and love went into the act.  When his cock swelled you knew he was about to come and you positioned him so that it would shoot straight to the back of your waiting mouth. He gripped the sheets and groaned as his hips bucked up and you happily took everything he had to offer you.  

When it was over you climbed off of the bed and went to the nightstand, handing him some tissues to clean up with while you got yourself some water from the bottle that was still there. Once his clothes were set back into place you found your spot in the crook of his arm, breathing in his masculine scent and snugging into his warmth.  He pulled the covers up and before you knew it you had both dozed off for the next hour. 

Awakening after 10 you knew time was almost up. Truthfully, there was no reason to rush. You had no meetings or urgent deadlines so the work could get done at your own leisure today. The rental car place wouldn't care what time he got there. Still, he had a long drive and it really couldn't be prolonged much more. 

Stretching out, you tried to delay the inevitable.  Apparently he was too as he started to run his hand through your hair, making you fall back down against him. 

With a deep sigh you warned, “We’re never gonna get out of this bed if you keep doing that you know.”

Placing his forehead against yours he whispered, “Is that such a bad thing?”

“No.  Not at all.  But even Peter Pan had to grown up some time.”

“I suppose you’re right.  But this isn’t over.  In a few weeks you better have these buns in Boston so we can find Neverland together again.”

Looking at him with a closed lip smile you agreed, “You got a deal. Even if I can’t get off on the 5th I’m coming no matter what.  I’ll drive home that night if I have to, but I’m not skipping the chance to see you.”

Pushing yourself up and off, because if you didn’t do it now you never would, you rolled off of your side of the bed and stood up.  Coming around towards him, he continued to lay there with his arms crossed and face pinched up while shaking his head.  

“C’mon, ya big lug.  You know I’ll never be able to lift ya!”  He released an arm and you pulled at it, almost falling for it when he tried to pull you down.  Almost.  If you laid down again he wasn’t leaving your bed until tomorrow.  You quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, wanting to look a bit more presentable for the outside world.  

“That’s it Chris, you can’t be trusted.  I’m going to go pack up the cookies for you while you get dressed.  Parties over, time to tuck and roll bitch!”

“ _ Bitch _ ?  Did you just call me a  _ bitch _ ?”

You flipped him off over your shoulder as you walked out of the room, a grin spreading across your face as you heard him mumbling behind you.

While getting out the tupperware for the cookies, you had the idea to sneak a couple of the chocolate penis pops in there as a joke.  You placed them in the container and added a note that said: “Peter and Gertrude decided to send their cousins, Hugo Brown and Wilomena Twiffletwat, to see if any tea could be salvaged from the Harbor.  You may suck on their balls but please don’t nibble on their heads.  It’s where the brains are after all.”

Hearing Chris coming down the hall you quickly covered the container and had it ready to pack into the duffle in his hand.  When he came into view you saw he was dressed in a soft white v-neck tee and dark blue sweatpants.  He was wearing his necklace with the St. Christopher’s medallion and the clav tat was slightly visible.  

“Are you kidding me, Chris? You’re leaving me and you come out dressed like that?”

“Wha-what’s wrong with this?” he asked, looking down at himself while waving a hand about, completely unaware of how sexy this was.

“Do you really not know the effect this look has on women?” you questioned in total disbelief, rolling your eyes to the side before leveling your gaze at him. “You in a Hanes shirt is sexy as hell cause it reminds us of you in a bedroom. The little view of your chest and the tat there makes us remember the sexy as fuck chest beneath it. My damn tongue involuntarily jumped when I saw that. And the fact that you always wear that necklace makes it very special and sweet. The sweats just make you look like you could be on the couch snuggling any second, plus they’re super easy to just tug down for whipping out that cock.  Which is exactly where I’d love to be, and love to be doing, with my guy right now but fuckin’ can't be so that also makes you a twat tease!” 

Rant over, you just pursed your lips and shook your head as he stood there pretending to baffled while he casually flexed his biceps.

“Just take your damn cookies Hercules,” you muttered, pushing the container towards hims. 

“Thank you for these, we’ll see if there’s any left by the time I get home,” he admitted as he opened his bag. 

“Want anything else for the road? Apple, peanut butter sandwich, juice box?”

“In a little brown bag? You’re the best!” He said boyishly then raised a brow.  “Do you actually have juice boxes?”

“No, but I have a few apple juices bottles. I say they’re for the the kids, but really I just get a hankering for it sometimes.”

After zipping his bag back up he placed it on the kitchen table and gathered you into his arms again.  “One more kiss?  It’s probably not a good idea to do it in the car once we get to the rental place.  All those camera’s y’know?”

“I thought of that too.  And there better be more than one.  I can’t seem to get enough of these lips of yours,” you admitted before claiming them with your own.  The two of you stood in your kitchen for what seemed like forever, drinking each other in like it was the last time you would see one another.   

Eventually, it was time to end the kissing and start the driving.  He picked up the duffle and followed you out, sunglasses and hat planted firmly on his head.  You put yours on in the car and made the short drive to a rental place.  

There was no talking or singing on the way, a rarity for you both.  You found an out of the way spot and parked the car, taking a short and shaky breath that you hoped he wouldn't notice.  He didn't move, just kept looking down, stroking the back of your trembling hand that now rested on the console between you.  The air felt heavy and a bit awkward, there were words hanging in it that wanted to be said but just couldn’t be.  At least not just yet. 

Breaking the silence he said quietly, “I’ll call you tonight, okay?”  His hand had stopped stroking yours and was now resting solidly upon it, fingers interlocking.  He gave it a squeeze as he spoke, looking at you through the cover of his shades.

“You better!” you sassed half heartedly.  Inside your head there was a war going on.  Your emotional self was being held hostage by the steely bitch side that was usually trapped instead. The inner bitch was shouting, “Don't you dare get all weepy!  Have some dignity here for fuck’s sake! I swear to God If you cry I’ll kick your ass!”

“Chris-” you started, but stopped as soon as he looked up at your face. Instead of saying what you really wanted to you took the easy way out.  “Have a safe trip.”

It was apparent by the way his jaw set that he was onto you, but had just decided not to call you on it.  “I will.”  He lifted your chin with his fingers to look his way. “I’ll see you in 14 days, Nicole,” he confirmed with a nod. 

“I’ll be counting them down.  Talk to you tonight, Chris.”  You tried to smile, and hoped you succeeded. Thank god your sunglasses were hiding your eyes. 

He opened the door, turning to give you one last crooked smile, before stepping out of your SUV and taking his bag from the backseat.  You watched him walk away, doing that sexy strut of his towards the building.  Once he got inside you pulled out of the parking lot, gripping the wheel with both hands while you drove.  The self berating was continuing. 

“No crying! Promise you will not cry!” You thought this even as your eyes stung and a tear escaped.  Fuck, you were not doing this. It was ridiculous!  What kind of fucking wimp starts to cry after spend a weekend with a guy.  Don't be a fucking idiot.  

The amount of fucks you said always increased when you got angry or agitated.  It could almost be used as a barometer of your mood.  You held your head up high and willed yourself to keep it together.

Three blocks was as far as you got before you had to pull over into another lot.  The tears were coming in so hard you could no longer see.  Five minutes and half a box of tissues later you were finally able to face driving again.  Jesus Christ you were a hot mess. Thankfully you had done without makeup this morning so having red eyes and a nose were the only major issues.  

There was no way you could face walking into your apartment right now, not with so many fresh memories.  Instead, you decided to treat yourself to a cafe au lait and a big, thick, triple chocolate fudge brownie from your favorite pastry shop, then drove to a park that wasn’t too far from your place.  

Taking a seat on the wood bench you enjoyed your treats and watched the swans gracefully gliding over the calm water on the lake.  This park was beautiful, so beautiful that weddings were frequently held here, and on this Monday morning in June you thankfully had it to yourself.  The kids were all in school and the few people around were all exercising.  You were able to clear your mind and reflect on the weekend, your relationship, the future, and eventually got yourself straight again before heading home.

Once home you went straight to the bedroom to take off your bra and get back into your cozy sweats. The air in the room seemed different, his scent still lingering.  Everywhere your eyes rested brought a reminder of the times spent together in here.  It seemed no where was safe, not even the wall.  A trip to the bathroom proved that was also tainted.  Walking through the kitchen was another minefield.  Finally settling down at your desk in the corner of the living room you thought you were out of the danger zone. As long as you didn’t look around the room, of course. Or to the side of the desk where the little swan statue stood.   

“Fuck. me.” you groaned, while powering up the laptop, trying to get your mind off of him.  You dived into the research on your list for the day with precision focus. The next time you looked up was when your stomach began growling and you realized it was the early afternoon.

Taking a quick lunch break, you made yourself a bite to eat and sent a group text to Dani and Jade.  If there was ever a time when you needed your girls to talk to it was now.  Someone had to give you an outside opinion, and probably a reality check because you couldn't trust yourself to be impartial.  So much had happened in 48 hours that it made your head spin.  

They both responded and agreed to meet over Skype at 7pm.  While you were up you decided to change the bedsheets and clean up a bit.  When you lifted the pillow you found the smurf shirt he wore yesterday folded beneath it.  Lifting it to your nose, you inhaled his scent and clutched it to yourself.  After putting a new pillowcase on “his” side you laid the shirt across it to keep close. 

You made another pot of coffee and settled back into the grind, the next interruption didn't come in until around 3.  It was a text from Chris letting you know he made it home safe and sound and asking how you were doing.  

Off the cuff you typed back, “Hello darkness my new friend….” hitting send a second before your mind registered what was written.  You cringed, worrying that he would take it the wrong way or think you were some sort of whack job all of a sudden.  

Luckily he realized it was just your dark humor coming through, evident by the return gif of a man crying in the shower captioned, “self portrait.”  It was so nice to be with a guy that just...got you.  Looking up a scene from Lilo and Stitch you sent him your self portrait - Lilo laying on the floor listening to “Heartbreak Hotel” on her record player. Chris sent you a gif of himself hugging someone.  Dork. A few real messages were exchanged and plans were made to talk tonight, but for now there was more work to do. 

Finishing up for the day, you made a meal out of some leftovers and chilled out, calling your mom and Sarah to catch them up on Sunday’s events.  A lot got omitted but they read between the lines and both, in their own way, poked around for more info.  You were candid about things and kept most of the details to yourself.  Luckily you were open and close to both of them, but there’s only so much you can tell your mom and be able to look at her with a straight face.  Same goes for your sister-in-law.  Dani and Jade, however, they would get to know pretty much whatever they wanted.  It was always different with your best friends.  

With a little time left to kill you turned on the tv and curled up on the couch with a glass of wine.  The laptop chirped you saw it was Jade calling.  You greeted each other and asked about one another’s families for a few minutes before Dani joined in.  There had been no talk of Chris at this point - you wanted them both there before any gushing took place.  

Once Dani came on, glass of wine in her own hand that you virtually clinked with yours, you looked at them and started saying, “Sooo, things have been interesting this weekend...”  

That was as far as you got before Dani asked about the weather in New York and Jade asked, “How was Maddie’s cake?”  

A bit thrown off since these were not the questions you expected you slowly answered, “Ah, great.  It came out really cute!  I’ll send you pics of it.”

Jade, very oddly, then asked, “Where’d you get the recipe again?”

“Um, duh, I got it from you, remember? Geez, are you getting that old-timers disease or something?”

Nodding slowly she confirmed, “Oh yeah, that’s right. Please tell me someone got cake shoved in their face.  It’s not a real party until that happens.”

With your free hand waving all around you exclaimed, “Oh my god, YES!  Actually it was me, thanks to Fucktard Evans.  Sarah got him an ice cream cake to celebrate his birthday too - you remember it’s the same day as Maddie’s - anyway I somehow fall for the ‘does this smell funny to you?’ trick and he smushed it all over my face.”

Dani was hysterical, pointing her palm at you, “How the fuck did you fall for that?  You have two older brothers for Christ’s sake!”

Laughing along you conceded, “I have no friggin’ clue how I didn’t see that coming.  I was sitting on his lap when it happened though, so I turned towards him and grabbed his face, smearing it right back at him.”

Before you could start to talk again Jade interjected another question.  Once again, not what you expected.  “How was the food at the party?”  

She was up to something, you just couldn’t quite tell what her game was-yet.  

“It was wonderful.  Found out Mr. Evans is quite the fresh mozz whore.”

“Did anyone piss in the pool?” she asked next.  

Confused, but beginning to get intrigued, you decided to just go with it and see where this all led.  Slowly, you dragged out your words, “I hope not.  But there were 3 kids.  I almost made Chris cum in the pool!” you added, giving a wink and biting your lip to suppress a giggle. 

Dani almost did a spit take at your answer, but Jade just eyed you shrewdly and kept up the bizarre game of twenty questions.  Fine, you were a good player, especially when you were feeling like a smart ass.  Like right now. 

“Was there a pinata?” she asked innocently.  You shrugged your shoulders, lamenting, “No, unfortunately not but damn, that would’ve been fun right?  Still, I did hit that, and candy did come streaming out.”

“Was there a magician?” she quickly asked then started munching on twizzlers.

“At the party?  Nope.  But I became one while playing ‘hide the magical zucchini’ this weekend. Does that count?”

That got Dani’s attention as she practically screamed out, “Wait a minute….just wait. A. Minute.  You had sex!  Holy shitballs, you really did have sex with Chris?!”

Jade waved her hand dismissively, “Pfft, noooo, she didn’t.  That wouldn’t happen.  They had a chaste weekend and played board games the whole time.”

Trying to keep you face straight you quipped, “You’re right Jade. Games.  Like naked twister, Lego Avengers, and oh, he sunk his battleship a few times, that’s for sure.”

That finally broke Jade and all three of you had a good laugh.  “Seriously guys, don’t you  _ want  _ to know what happened for real?!?!”  

“Of course we do, we just also want to torture the FUCK out of you because you, dear ho, SLEPT WITH CHRIS EVANSSSSS!!!”

Head dropping back to the cushions you roared with laughter.  Thankfully your glass of wine was on the table beside you or it would have spilled as you braced your hands against your belly.  Your face was flushed red from embarrassment and happiness.  When you looked back at the screen it was with as straight a face as you could muster while you replied, “Nah, actually I didn’t.”

“BUUULLLLSHIIIIT!  You so fucking did, I can see it all over your face!” Dani yelled accusingly.  

Jade attempted to calm her down, “Ya never know, D.  Did his mom cockblock you again or something?”

You ran your hands up through your hair, stretching and wiggling your fingers, of course while avoiding the prying eyes on the screen.  “Nope.  Believe it or not, this time it was my mom.  We went to Ryan’s and the whole day was basically foreplay.  When we got back here it was just, just ATTACK, until my mom called.”

“What did she want?” Jade asked curiously, hand paused on the way to her mouth with some popcorn.  

After snickering a bit you professed, “My mother was calling to yell at me for sending Chris to a hotel instead of letting him stay at my place...”

“But he DID stay at your place,” interrupted Dani.

“I know that, and you guys know that, but for some reason when she asked me I felt weird telling her so I lied.  Apparently I disappointed her because she went on and on about how she would have totally hit that if she were me!”

Jade stopped swigging her root beer and shook her head in disbelief, “No way.  Not Aunt Ev, she’s a freaking saint. Obviously all of the sex you’ve been having has made you delusional.”

Leveling your look at her you shook your head, “Where the fuck do you think I get my dirty mind from?  You shoulda heard the things she was saying about him.  She’s planning our fucking wedding!” you grumbled while laughing.   You filled them in on the rest of the call and about Chris snooping and discovering, and torturing you, with the chocolate pops.  They also got all of the details about the hot and heavy attack mentioned. 

Jade started waving her hand quickly and stating, “Whoa, whoa whoa….you’re jumping around quite a bit.  We need details.  Where’d the first kiss happen?”

“At the airport.  We stayed completely apart and pretended not to know each other until we got to my car.  Remember how worried I was that the spark was going to be gone?  God was I wrong, it was like someone lit a fire in that car.”  

Dani started teasing you, wagging her finger your way.  “Really? You didn’t have sex in a parking lot did you?  

“Of course I didn’t, I’m a lady god dammit!  I totally waited until we got on the highway before pulling over to jump his bones.”

“Did he bring a piano with him?” Jade asked seriously, which set her and Dani off into raucous laughter.  

“No, but he brought his organ.”  That crack only made them laugh harder.

“Did he pack  _ anything _ weird in his suitcase?” Dani asked ever-so-innocently.

Alright, you still didn’t have a clue what their deal was but you knew there was a purpose behind these oddball questions.  “No idea.  Unlike him, I’m not a snoop.  He did bring me the same night light that I sent him for his birthday - the one that projects the stars and planets on the ceiling.  He said this way no matter where we are we can always look at the same sky together.”

That line got an “awww” from all three of you.  You were lost in your memories for a few seconds when Jade had to needle you again.  

“He’s a weirdo, isn’t he?”

“J,  he’s a hopeless romantic who happens to have a sixth toe and a third nipple.  What’s the big deal?”  She almost choked on her rootbeer.  Good.

Speak of the devil, it was just after this that you got your first text from Chris. You hid the phone in your lap, hoping no one would notice. 

**_MY CAPTAIN_ ** _ :  Hey beautiful, whatcha doing?” _

**_NICOLE_ ** _ :  Whatsa happenin’ hot stuff?  I’m skyping with the girls _

**_MY CAPTAIN_ ** _ :  Oh? Giving them all the dirty details about our weekend? _

In fact, the “girls” were currently having a conversation amongst themselves about your situation and they didn’t pick up on the sly smile coming across your face as you thought up your response. 

**_NICOLE:_ ** _  Yep, I’m giving them the blow by blow. _  (you inserted an eggplant emoji at the end as a joke)

**_MY CAPTAIN:_ ** _  Well make it good- please don’t tell them I have a micro penis! _

You bit your lip to suppress the laugh from escaping.

**_NICOLE_ ** _ :  I promise. I already described it to them.  Said it was so big it was like a baby’s arm holding an apple! _

He returned a bunch of laughing to tears emojis 

**_MY CAPTAIN_ ** _ :  At least you’re being accurate. _

Dani interrupted and asked if he brought anything for Maddie’s birthday.  

“Oh my god, actually he did! It was so sweet and unexpected.  He bought a Cap frisbee and even wore a Cap t-shirt so he could surprise her.  The actual present though was an art set.  That first dinner we all had together they were drawing so he thought it would be something she’d like.  He even sat and drew with her and her cousin.  It was so precious!”  

If people could actually have hearts coming out of their eyes in real life, this would be one of those moments. 

“What about a housewarming gift for you?”  she asked.

“Not really, just the nightlight,” you paused a moment remembering his words from last night, “He did give me an amazing massage last night and said it was for being the hostess with the mostest.  Does that count?”

“Meh,” Jade said, piping up, “Did he bring a hostess gift for Sarah or flowers for your mom?”

“No,” you conceded. “It’s not convenient to fly with I guess.”  

It was an excuse, but you felt the need to make one.  It hadn’t occurred to you that it would’ve been the proper thing to do.  You were just too excited by the fact that he was there. 

This time it was Dani who snarked, “What, they don’t have florists between your place and Sarah’s?  Sounds like a cop out to me.”

Defensively you quipped back, “We were a little busy that morning, a lot of stuff went on and it didn’t cross either of our minds I guess.” 

She softened then, giving you a soft smile, “Don’t get your panties in a twist, it’s okay Nic.  But I think we need more insight into his poor decisions.  Go on and ask him, cause I already know you’ve been texting him for a while.”

“What? How did you know?”

“Because no one looks at their lap for that long while smiling.”

“I’m glad someone pointed it out.  It was getting creepy watching her gazing down at her crotch this whole time,” Jade mimicked you and laughed.

Sheepishly, you pulled the phone up into view.  If you were all in the same room this is when the pillows would have been flying at you. 

You filled them in on why you had both been a bit distracted to not think of housewarming gifts, given all that had happened between his confession of the background check and then the screwing around before leaving.  

Jade heard about the check he had done and started discussing it with Dani.  They had both expected this to happen and weren’t surprised, but were very glad he had come clean.  Finding out exactly what he knew was pretty hilarious and you told them about it and then went on to talk about making your own confession of the things he didn’t know about.

Dani was all into the Tumblr experience and they were hanging on your every word when you told them about what happened on the couch.  

“Please tell me you guys had an old fashioned make out session???” Jade pleaded.  

“Are you kidding me?  We kissed so much that my lips and face are a bit chapped.  I haven’t made out this much since high school.  MY GOD can that fucker kiss!”

“You guys did actually have sex though right?” Dani inquired, wanting to be sure she wasn’t misunderstanding.

“Yes,” you admitted, having to look down with a sudden shyness.  “We made love Saturday night and a few times after.”

“A few times? Jesus woman, when you say a few how many times is that exactly?”  

“Are we counting oral as sex or just straight up penetration?”

After a guffaw Dani bonked held her head in her hands, in total disbelief of the question,   “Ohmigod, you total ho! I love it! And yes, a sexual act is a sexual act and should be counted as such. Fucking, however, should be differentiated.”

Mumbling to yourself, you began counting on your fingers, starting with Saturday morning’s couch session.  “Alright, sooo let’s see.  2..3,4,5...6...7,8...9…”

Jade blurted out, “HOLY SHIT NICOLE, just how many orgasms did you have this weekend?” before laughing in shock.

You were still counting, trying to block out the talk.

Dani chimed in, “Damn girl, I didn’t realize I was gonna need to create a spreadsheet,” she snorted a laugh then added, “Get it, SPREADsheet.  I know, I’m a child.”

Finishing up you finally exclaimed “15! 15 orgasms, although I think I had a multiple last night so it may be a little higher.  And a yes, there was a lot of spreading this weekend so a sheet could come in handy.  I counted 4 penetrations - in 4 different positions I might add. The rest were oral or by hand.”  You were almost bragging by the end, totally amazed at the weekend when you finally had to break it down this way.  The little happy wiggle dance you did in your seat solicited groaning laughs from them both.

Now it was Jade’s turn to smile while shaking her head in disbelief.  “I can’t even...you used protection, right?”

Sarcastically you replied, “Nope, we raw dogged it all weekend.  We’d make beautiful kids together if there was a mishap so we figured, why not?” 

Dani lost it, “Good one!  Love it!!”

“He sounds like a sex crazed maniac,” Jade teased. 

“He’s not at all, it happened when it felt right.  Honestly, he’s the best lover I’ve ever had.  He’s so attentive and I don’t know, we just really connected, y’know.”

“Huh, so maybe you’re the sex crazed maniac now?” she threw in. 

Just to annoy her, you answered by singing, “Might as well face it I’m addicted to love.”

She pretended to hate the fact that you sang so often, but you knew she secretly got a kick out of it. 

Cutting in Dani pleaded, “Okay, I need to know if you womaned up and used my box of awesome?”

“I kinda didn’t have a choice, he found it.  The bastard was laughing so hard I thought he was having a fit and ran into the room.  He’s such a goddamn SNOOP! I found him holding a dildo in his hand and he was on the floor in hysterics.”

“Love it!! So what did you use?” she demanded excitedly.

Jade groaned, “Oh shit, here we go...”

Pointing at her you chastised, “Behave or we’ll send you to the kiddie table bitch.”  She stuck her tongue out at you and winked.  

“I got to use the lingerie last night, it went over really well.”

“I put so much in there I can barely remember it all.  Did you use the honey dust?”

“Ooooh, yes I did, last night. Honey dust dipped cock is delicious!” you said cracking up while pushing your tongue into your cheek and motioning your hand like you were giving head.  “He used the poof and made a trail down my spine and licked it off.  I can practically feel his tongue on me now just thinking about it,” you admitted with a little moan.     

“Did you use the cuffs?”  

“No, not this time.”

“What about the bullet?”

“No, we really only got to the dust and a few types of condoms.  The rest was just us getting to know each other.  I swear he was taking notes.”

Jade chimed in, “How many condoms did you actually use?”

“Wow, that’s…very specific.  Umm, 4.”

“What are your thoughts about the variety that were available to you?”  Jade asked.  

“I can’t wait to find out what the fuck is up with these questions or yours girl.  I was impressed and we used several.   I’m pretty positive the glow in the dark ones were your idea missy.  It was hilarious, he pulled them from the box on Saturday night and when we shut the lights off we saw something glowing on my nightstand.  We laughed our asses off when we figured out what it was.”  

When the three of you were composed again you added, “We probably would’ve used more  today but I had to shut down the garage.  Fuck I’m so sore!”

Dani sympathized, “Well dear, that’s what happens when you go from 0 to 80 on the I’ve-had-sex-recently scale.  After this weekend you must be walking like a hooker during Fleet Week!”

“Oh, I totally am, dear, I totally am.”

“Did he have anything to say about the Avenger’s toys?” she asked.

“He loved them, except for Thor.  He hates the Thor one, probably because I told him it was my favorite! That will be my way of torturing him going forward, because you know I gotta be a smart ass.”

Chris sent you another text asking if you were still talking to your friends.  No longer needing to hide it, you read the responses out loud to the girls, both yours and his.

**_NICOLE_ ** _ : I am, we’re talking about my little box of fun actually. _

**_MY CAPTAIN_ ** _ :  Oh really, and just what are you telling them? _

**_NICOLE:_ ** _  That I slathered you in massage oil and used your body as a slip-n-slide _

**_MY CAPTAIN_ ** _ :  LOL, wait, can we do that next time?  Sounds like fun! _

**_NICOLE:_ ** _  LOL!!! _

**_MY CAPTAIN:_ ** _  Did you tell them about the chocolate sauce and bananas? _

Dani started to freak out, “What sauce and bananas?  You didn’t say anything about food play!”

“That’s because it didn’t happen.  He’s being a wise ass.  Well, I shouldn’t say no food play, there was an incident with the chocolate dicks.”  You told them about the puppet show while texting him back.

**_NICOLE:_ ** _ I did not, but if I do can I tell them who wore the sauce and who ended up with the banana up their ass? _

**_MY CAPTAIN_ ** _ :  If they’ve seen my movies they’ll know the banana was up mine. _

**_NICOLE_ ** _ :  LOL Exactly! It will definitely be up your ass first sunshine! _

“Ahem, speaking of dicks, did he go commando at all?” asked Dani with a seriously wicked evil look on her face.  

“Abso-fuckin-lutely!”  You told them about his teasing you with a recreation of the “What’s Your Number” scene when changing into his bathing suit and then the sexy sunscreen applications. 

"I swear to God the crotch of my bathing suit was like a slip-n-slide!  The rest of the weekend his attire in my apartment was birthday suit or boxer briefs.  Buttnaked or briefs is definitely the way to see this man.  His body is just insanely hot. Just looking at it made me feel like I needed to be hosed down in holy water.  I need an old priest and a young priest!.” you playfully quoted.  

“Might want to head to Church and start confessing, you can probably get a few gallons of holy water while you’re there. Speaking of your place, you cleaned it up before he got there, right?  And by ‘cleaned’ I mean getting rid of your stack of vintage erotica and anal beads,” Jade casually chimed in.  

“Are you kidding me?  I will never get rid of those!  In fact I was thinking I’d take pages from the Kama Sutra and tape them to the wall next time so we have a visual guide. Whatd’ya think?”

She was on a mission for sure, not even blinking at the fact that you didn’t take the bait and get flustered by her joke. Jade continued, “Didn’t you also have one of those sex dolls?”

“It’s called a carpool lane buddy,” you pointed out, not missing a beat.  

“Huh, well I hope you sent it on vacation while he was visiting.”

“Fuck no! I went whole hog and brought it to the bed with us.  Double penetration is the only way to start a sexual relationship.”

Dani was watching the exchange, quite amused, while having a snack.  When the next text from Chris asking what the latest topic of discussion was you answered back “DP” and received a gif in return with a thumbs up and a cartoon character with hearts for eyes popping out.   

“Did anything weird happen this weekend?” inquired Dani. 

“You mean other than spending it with Chris Evans?”

“Well, yeah that for sure is weird, but like, did your dad go after him with the shotgun or anything?” she asked, knowing how protective of his baby the man was.  

“Uh uh, dad was good this time.  Just super watchful.”

“I’m surprised. He didn’t at least threaten to castrate him?” added Jade.  When you shook your head no she mouthed, “What the fuck?  He’s growing soft in his old age.”

“Honestly, the only thing that bothered him was all the tattoos.  Once I explained what they were though he really seemed to see Chris through new eyes. He really likes him, gave us his blessing.”

Dani gave a slight eye roll and asked, “Did he actually go an entire weekend without checking in with his mom?”  Even she knew he was a notorious mama’s boy.

“Are you kidding me?  This is Chris Evans we’re talking about.  I don’t think that’s possible for him. 

Suddenly they were both firing questions in rapid fire, bombarded you and barely giving you a chance to answer before asking another one.

“ What about his agent?” 

“He checked in with his people a couple of times, but for the most part he left his phone alone.”

“What about his dog?”  

“He Facetimed Dodger once to check in on him, he’s so fluffy!”

“Did he call anyone famous?”

“Actually, yes. Tom Holland is watching the puppy while Chris is gone, you know, the guy that plays the new Spiderman? Anyway,  I got to talk to him over the Facetime while I drove yesterday.  His accent is adorable!”   

“Oh my god I’m so jealous!  I loved him Civil War!” Dani proclaimed.

“He wasn’t texting his buddies all weekend was he?” she then asked.  

“No, he was stuck like glue to me.”

“Or playing Farmville?” Jade joked.  

“The only grass he mowed was mine.”

She kept going, “Chris left the bathroom messy, didn’t he?  Shaving gunk in the sink and shit?”

“No...actually he’s stopped shaving.”

“Leaves the toilet seat up?”

“Nooo.”

“He’s a typical man. He must really smell after a hot day.”

You stopped answering and gave yourself a second to try and figure out what the fuck was going on but just couldn’t puzzle it out.  So, back to being a smart ass you went.  “You wanna know what he smells like?  A warm summer day.  I may make a feminine care commercial out of it.“

Changing topics she lamented, “I hope you had enough food in the house.  He seems like a big eater.”  

“He kinda is, but we made do.  He’s got a big sweet tooth.  My mom bought him a giant cannoli filled with little ones. He kept sneaking them out of the fridge all weekend.”  The girls had a good laugh over the image.  “Oh, and Jade, you’ll love this, we baked cookies together!”  You gave them the rundown on Peter and Gertrude, much to their delight.  

Worried, Dani asked, “You weren’t cooking all weekend were you?”

“I did some but don’t judge me!  You know I show my love by feeding people.”  

“He better have cooked for you.”

“Actually he did.  Turns out he’s quite the cock-I mean, cook.  Made us a delicious frittata this morning because he knew I was sore and it was his fault,” you divulged with a grin.

Jade twirled her finger and straightened up.  “Ok, on a likert scale of 1-10, where 1 is fucking awful and 10 is super awesome, how would you rate his initiative when it comes to sex?”

“10.” 

“How about how imaginative he is?” 

“10.” 

“And technique?”

“17.”

“Kisses?”

“Easily a 20.”

“His recall of the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party?”

“6.” 

“Your ability to be together for several hours?”

“Off the charts, 100! ”

“How his hair looks when he first wakes up?”

“Adorkable”

“His choice of toothbrush?”

“Average.”

“His choice of breakfast food?”

“10.” 

“His face as he orgasms?”

“Oh my god, so sexy. It’s priceless.”

“You got drunk, didn’t ya?”

“No, just a drink here and there.  I was a good girl.”   

Dani scoffed, “We know you did!  You got drunk and flashed him...no wait, you flashed the Fedex guy again?  You started singing 80’s new wave songs?” she added with a cackle.

“Girl, you know, and I know, that I don’t need alcohol to flash people.  I got a great rack, sometimes I just want to share it.”  Looking at Jade you added, “You know one of these days someone’s gonna smack you on the back and those eyes are going to stay rolled back in your head.”

“How many pairs of underwear did you have to wash?” asked Dani, apparently also on the odd question train.

“So many I had to go commando today.”

“You washed the sheets too, right?”  

“No not yet. Figured I’d roll around in them a bit and sniff him till it fades.”  

“How many pairs of underpants did he bring with him?”

“How the fuck should I know!  I saw him in 2 different boxers. I didn’t go rummaging through his bag or anything.” 

“Any furniture need to be replaced?  Ceiling fan? NutraBullet?”

“Wait, what?  No, appliances but there’s a hole in the wall and we can never go back to the tennis court again.”

“Did he sing to you again?”  You gave a sheepish grin for an answer.  

“You didn’t sing a duet together again, did you? Please God, let her say no.”

“Does dancing around my kitchen while singing ‘Baby I’m-a Want You’ count as a duet?”

Jade was making faces like she was thoroughly disgusted, while Dani just smiled and responded, “How about a slab of brie to go along with that cheese? Oh my god, y’all are both saps!”

“If he was a Yelp review, what would his review be?”  

You pondered this for a moment, deciding what type of place was being reviewed.  You decided on a restaurant.  “Service at it’s finest. Dishes served hot. Everything was very neat and clean.  Extremely attentive staff.  Everything on the menu was delicious and the serving sizes were enormous! Highly recommend, it’s the kind of place that’s so amazing you’ll be coming again and again!”

Everyone broke into hysterics for a bit.  

“Hey, didn’t it rain this weekend?” Dani asked, “That must have messed everything up.”

“It was beautiful Saturday but yeah, it rained most of Sunday. In a way it worked out in our favor.  We were bums all day.  Just talked, played video games, cooked, had lots of sex.  We made a little trip to the beach when the storm broke.”

“You watched Netflix, didn’t you?  Did you Netflix and  _ chill _ ?” 

“We did last night.  We picked up some pizza and stuff and ate it on the couch watching Grosse Pointe Blank.”  

“So, did he sleep on the couch? Floor?  Bathtub? Closet?” 

“In the little Harry Potter style storage space built into the living room wall,” you sassed.

“Did you talk in your sleep again?” 

You practically gasped here, “Oh. My. God. Did I ever! I had one of the craziest, most vivid dreams of my life and he was there to hear me talking through most of it.  Tortured me about it all day Sunday.”

“Breathe out something concerning Lieutenant Joe Kenda?” Jade teased you with an inside joke.  

“Thankfully not, I don’t know how I’d begin to explain my weird kink for the soft blue cataract eyes and saggy balls of the man that melts my loins saying “My, my, my.”   You went on to describe as much as you could that made sense.  Jade loved that she was preggers and making out with Fassie.  

When you described Dani and Seb being engaged she declared, “I am highly in favor of this dream!”

“The rock on your hand was insane! It was huge!!”

She groaned, “Oh god, I’m gonna need to go write some smut or something to calm myself down.”

“Oh, and speaking of smut and dreams, I kinda told Chris about the one where I banged Rogers post serum. You know the one Dani, my ‘Let’s do it for our country!’ dream?”  

Both you and Dani went into a fit of delighted laughter before singing the silly song from Grease 2.  Jade tried to not like it but she couldn’t hide her smile for long.   You went on to describe his reaction to it and how you embellished it with fantasy.  The girls were very proud of your initiative.  This also led to your experiences with him fulfilling those fantasies and the bath after. 

“Did he hint about seeing you again?” Jade asked, her face growing softer with a smile.  

You bit your lip and smiled back, “Actually, I’m going to Boston in 14 days.”

“You’re what?!” They both shouted at you.

“His mom called and invited me to join the family at her house for a bbq on 4th of July.  I’m definitely going and I am definitely terrified. If she doesn’t like me it could be a deal breaker for him. You know how he is about his mom.”

“Yeah, but she’s gonna love you,” Dani assured.

Dropping your head back for a moment you groaned, “God I hope so! I can’t say for sure but I know he wouldn’t be happy long term with a girl his mom didn’t like.  In fact, I remember hearing that she doesn’t even get to meet a lot of the girls he hangs around with.  I was kinda surprised when she asked.” 

Dani countered, “Ok, so let’s get logical then.  The fact that she did means that he must’ve already told her how much you mean to him.  Sooo, reasons why it’s going to be fine. Ready?  Number one, you are  _ not _ a bitch. You are sweet and sassy and full of love. Number two, you are not after Chris for his money, and I think that comes across in your personality. So, even if for some unknown reason the two of you didn’t click, I don’t think she’d do that to Chris. You aren’t looking to manipulate him or use him and I’m sure that’s what she’ll be checking for. Otherwise, it’s probably all about ‘Do you make Chris happy?’ Yes, then all systems go.”

“You’re right, I know you’re right.  Besides, I’m just using him for his big dick.  Not for his money.”  

Throwing her hands up she declared, “Finally getting some truth up in here!” 

You laughed, delighted by her way of calming you down.  “He told me his mom already likes me and he knows once she meets me she’ll adore me.  I hope he’s right.  Boys never see the side of their mom’s that are watching the girl’s like an inspector.  I’ll just have to bring my A-game.” 

Jade asked quietly, “Any ‘regerts’ from this weekend?”

You didn’t answer right away, just chewed the inside of your cheek while you pondered how to answer this.  With a deep sigh, you admitted honestly.  “Only that it had to end.  It was one of the most incredible weekends of my life.”  The girl’s mushy and supportive sides came out in spades when they saw you wipe away a tear.   

You told them about your breakdown this morning after dropping him off, and how you did a little soul searching after.  

“I really hope it get easier but I’m sure the deeper I fall for him the harder it will become every time we say goodbye.  In just one weekend he’s managed to ruin me for every other guy!” 

Dani tried to lighten your mood stating, “Uh, pretty sure that happened back in Boston, hun.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.  I just didn’t think I’d ever fall his hard this fast for someone.  It’s unnerving.”

The discussion began winding down after that, the girls getting in the last of their questions.  Before ending the call they finally let you in on the odd way they’d been acting.

Jade explained, “Dani and I talked about it and we both knew exactly what was going to happen this weekend.  We also knew that you would want to talk for a good 2 hours to gush over the details.  So, we came up a bunch of questions to help keep you under control and make sure you didn’t get too wrapped up in your head.  We all know the way you start to analyze and agonize over things.  You’d have left this call a mess if we didn’t break things up for you. Plus, we just really like fucking with ya!” 

With a chuckle you nodded slowly and threw your hands up with a shrug.  They knew you too well.  “What would I do without you bumbleheads.  I’ll admit that was very creative, and very smart because I TOTALLY would’ve spent this call talking a mile a minute. Thank you,” you said with a crooked smile, trying to not cry, again.  You blew them each a kiss and made plans for when you’d see them in person again. 

After the chat fest ended you called Chris. The man wore his heart on his sleeve and instead of playing it cool, like most men would, he immediately started the conversation with “God do I miss being around you.”  

A warmth started in your heart that spread throughout your entire body at the sound of those words.  Just at the sound of his voice, period!  It was like caramel over the phone, so soothing and sexy.  He caught you up on his the rest of his day, how great it was seeing his mom and the family for dinner.  

“Oh and, by the way, thanks for sneaking in those dicks, babe. It was wonderful to open the cookies in front of everyone and have to explain those,” he playfully chastised.

“Oh my God, seriously?” you tried not to laugh but it was impossible. 

“Yes, seriously. Thankfully the only kid in the room was Stella and she had no clue.  She just thought they were funny looking. Kid tried to eat one and Carly almost had a heart attack! She was lunging to get it from her before it went into her mouth. We almost died.”

There was no suppressing the roar of laughter now, the image was just too much.

Wiping a tear after you asked, “What did they say about them?”

“They cracked up when I explained it. I had to do my accent again.”

“I bet they loved it.”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

He explained that he was spending the night at Lisa’s house, such a mama’s boy, since he was going to be hanging around there all day tomorrow.  The call lasted about an hour before you said goodnight.  You could’ve gone longer but there was that annoying place called a job to attend to tomorrow.  Plus, you were still a little sore and a long, hot shower was calling your name.  Hopefully it would relax the muscles and lull you into a good night’s sleep under your stars.  There was no Chris tonight so Gordon would get to share the bed again. 

The next morning was just as you’d expected.  You rolled over and felt the other side of the bed, searching for a strong, warm body and found nothing emptiness instead.  Grabbing his pillow you held it against yourself, breathing in the scent from his shirt. Allowing yourself a few minutes to just imagine him being there, remembering the past couple of mornings while breathing him in, would have to do for now.  13 more days.   

Work was business as usual.  You even got in a little early and made your way to the office manager and, happily, you were granted a personal day on 7/5/17.  There was talk they may even close the office altogether for the day.  The office was also closing at 3 pm on the 7/3 so you’d be able to get a jump on the ride to Boston.  

Around 11 am your friend, Valentina, stopped in to go over a case you were both working on.  She had taken you under her wing when you first came to this office and had become one of your closest friends, in and out of work.  When Chris had mentioned how surprised he was that you had been keeping the relationship a secret from her it had relieved you in a way.  It was almost like you had his permission now, and you knew you could trust her to be silent about it.  

“Hey Nic, you okay?  I saw you worked from home yesterday,” she asked, file in hand as she took a seat.

“Yeah, I’m good.  I just overdid things this weekend I guess.  Pulled a muscle in my back a bit but I’m a lot better.”

“Trying to keep up with the little ones at the bouncy place?”

Looking away, you could barely keep a straight face when you’re brain was screaming “Lots of bouncing? Yes.  At my place actually.”  But this was a place of business and you wanted to maintain a level of professionalism in case she screamed, the way you knew she probably would, when she found out.  

“Umm, I actually skipped that part and met them at the house later.  I had a guest for the weekend.”

“A guest?  Who came over?  I didn’t know anything about someone coming for the weekend?” she asked, surprised and eyeing you keenly.  Your face was a projector and she was well skilled in reading it.  

“I’ll ask you again mi hija, who came over this weekend?”  Her voice changed, accusatory and playful.  You simply bit your lip, trying to keep the smile in check.  Looking at your monitor seemed like a wonderful idea right about now so you pulled up the records you had gathered on the case.

“This isn’t over, Nicole.  I know you’re trying to hide something, very poorly, I may add.”

Turning to look sideways at her you asked, “Are you free for lunch today?  We’ve got a lot of talking to do.”

Valentina sat back, smug smile on her full lips and smacked her hand against the folder in her lap.  “I knew it!! I knew something’s been going on.  I was waiting to see how long it would be before you finally broke and filled me in.  It’s a man, isn’t it?”

Rolling your eyes as you laughed a little you confessed, “Yeah, it’s a man.  And damn do I have a story to tell you.”

She leveled her dark eyes at you, a devilish grin spreading across her face.  “From the look on your face, I think we may need lunch and drinks after work to get this tale done.” 

“Drinks sound perfect.  I’ll buy the first round,” you exclaimed as you finally let the smile flood your face, happy to be able to include her in your circle of trust.  45 minutes till lunch and truth time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration for this chapter was Bread's "Baby, I'm-a want you" and "Crazy for you" by Madonna


	31. On the Road Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole confides in a close friend about her relationship with Chris. Chris and Nicole are reunited at his home in Sudbury on 7/3/17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW 18+ Graphic sexual content, penetrative and oral sex

The lunch hour confession session was held at a local diner that you and Valentina frequented.  After a brief glance through the menu, more out of habit than of need, your orders for the usual were placed.  Smiling your thanks to the waitress, you turned towards your friend and found her  face trained on yours; eyebrow arched, lips pursed and chin resting upon her steepled fingers.

“Spill it, Nikki,” she demanded, nicely but firmly.  Her dark eyes were watching you carefully because, over the years, she’d learned to read your body language in addition to listen to your words.  Your expressive face was a snitch, telling people a lot more than you said verbally.  It was one of the many reasons you’d chosen to work behind the scenes in the legal field.  “What’s his name?”

You paused a moment, bracing yourself for the reaction.  Thrumming your hands on the table, you finally blurted out, “Chris Evans.”

She didn’t react to the name.  Instead, she continued what was sure to be an interrogation - unlike you, this woman truly belonged in the courtroom and not behind the scenes. “And where did you meet him?”

Was it possible that she actually didn’t know who he was?  Of course, until you’d seen him in Winter Soldier, you had known the face and the name, but not necessarily together. Still, he’d made several more Marvel movies since then.  Or maybe she was just pretending not to recognize the name, trying to draw more details out of you? There was no way to tell.  Her face, unlike yours, could be unreadable.  Puzzled, and a little curious, you slowly answered, “Umm, in Boston.”

Her head went back and her hands started talking.  “Wait a minute, you went there for a contest you won, right?  Did you meet him at the place or when you were sightseeing?  How come you haven’t mentioned this before?  Does he live here or in Boston?”

Answering her questions in order, you explained, “Yes to the contest, yes to the place, I’ve had good reason not to and he lives in Boston.  Well, technically, anyway.”

Now she was the one who seemed puzzled as she dropped her arms to the table and cocked her head to discern your face a bit more.  “So you met him at the Escape place? Does he work there or own it?”

Dragging out the word, you raised your brows and answered her, “Noooo, we met because of the Escape room thing.  Don’t you remember what the contest was about?”

“Of course I do, it was that celebrity charity thing with that guy you have the hots for from those movies.”

“Exactly, that guy is -”  You stopped speaking as your waitress returned with your drinks.  Once she was out of earshot, you turned back to Val and whispered, “That guy is Chris Evans.  I’m dating the guy I won to the contest to meet!” You were so excited to finally be able to tell her about Chris that you were practically bouncing in your seat  It wasn’t until this very moment that you realized just how much this secret weighed upon your heart.    

“The guy from the movies? You’re telling me you’re dating an actor?  How in the hell did that happen?” She paused, her palms braced on the table and you could see the wheels turning in her mind before she asked, “I’m not too familiar with those types of movies and almost all of the guys are hot. I can't place which one he is. What character does he play?”

“He’s one of the leads. He plays Captain America,” you said quietly, but proudly with a shy smile.  This shit still felt so surreal at times. 

Pulling out your phone, you Googled Chris and swiped over to the images tab.  You handed her your phone and watched as her eyes grew wider and wider with each new photo she viewed.   

“Hol-ee Shit!  This is..you’re...ay dios mio,” she said pointing between you and the screen in utter disbelief.  She stopped scrolling to pointedly stare at you as she warned, “You have got  _ A LOT _ of explaining to do, lady.”

The waitress came back then with your Greek salads, extra pita bread and a spinach pie to split.  As soon as she approached, Val tucked the phone to her chest, hiding the screen from prying eyes.  The gesture got you right in the feels.  That one action already showed you that you’d made the right decision.  She could be trusted to be discreet and to protect you and the information.  

As soon as the waitress left, she handed your phone back, picked up her fork and stole an olive from your dish. “I’m waiting,”  she said, narrowing her eyes and watching you shrewdly before taking a bite.

Stealing a piece of feta from her plate, you savored the soft, salty cheesy goodness for a few seconds, not in the least bit stalling of course.  With a smirk that was pure “the cat who ate the canary,”  you cleared your throat and started to fill her in.  

And so you ate and shared your story, answering the many questions that she kept interjecting.  Unlike the call with the girls last night, you didn’t go into any graphic details of your sexcapades but you did put quite a blush on your face and, to your delight, hers. Due to the limited time, and the public location, she got the cliff notes version of things beginning with your birthday weekend in Boston and ending yesterday.

Valentina sat back, shaking her head and wagging her index finger at you.  “I knew there was something going on with you.  I could sense a change. You’ve been more alive, lately.  Happier.  You’ve also been a bit secretive,” she finished, raising her brow as a way of chastising you. 

Shrugging your shoulders, you stammered a bit as you tried to defend your actions.  “I’m sure you can see why. If this information gets out too soon, or the wrong people find out, then everything blows up!  Our relationship could end and my privacy would be over.  We’ve agreed to take every precaution possible to keep things under wraps as long as we can.”  You looked at her seriously and tilted your head, pleading with your eyes as well as your hands. “Please, It goes without saying, no one else can find out about this.”

Placing her hand on top of yours, she gave it a squeeze and confirmed, “No one will learn about it from these lips.”  She let your hands go and waved her own around adding, “And hey, don’t think I haven’t noticed you smiling at your phone and quickly dropping it when someone comes around.  Or the way you daydream sometimes at lunch.  I’m happy for you sweetheart, I really am, but what I want to know is….why?  Why did you wait a month to tell me, Nicole? I mean, I get it, I really do, but a part of me is kinda hurt that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me about this sooner.”

You explained yourself, telling her what you told Chris last night.  About your concerns leading up to this weekend.  You let out a deep breath when she again took your hand, looked you in the eyes and acknowledged your concerns.  A flood of relief washed over you as you saw the understanding in her face. 

Swiping up the last bit of feta and dressing with your pita, you told her, “Chris was actually surprised when he found out you didn’t know.”

“Wait, so I didn’t know about him but he knows about me?” she said in surprise.

Smiling cheekily at her, you explained, “He’s heard stories about my crazy Colombian bestie and her long suffering, Irish husband.”

“Bitch,” she muttered under her breath, biting back a smile. 

This couple had a story you loved.  She had the kind of personality that drew people to her. Warm and engaging; she could make anyone feel like an old friend.  Valentina was full of energy and spice.  Her dark eyes contrasted against the slight olive tone of her skin.  She had a head full of dark brown curls and curves to match. She'd been single when you'd met her and you had watched as man after man tried and failed to be the one she fell head over heels for.  It had taken her going to an out of state wedding to meet the man that had swept her off her feet.  As fate would have it, they'd both been both out of towners and had lived less than 30 minutes apart.  He was her polar opposite in so many ways, but they were each other’s yin and yang.  

“Chris has heard stories about your little cherub, too.  He thinks Milo is absolutely beautiful.”  

“Remember what I always say for when you have your own one day.  God always makes them extra sweet looking when they’re going to be extra trouble.  Does Chris like kids?”

With a huge grin and so much more relaxed now that you could discuss things openly with her, you explained, “He loves them.  And he’s going to make such an amazing dad one day, you should see him around children, he’s a natural!”  With a laugh, you continued, “I haven’t forgotten that saying of yours, by the way.  I told Chris that boy can be the best or worse form of birth control, sometimes fluctuating between both and back again within 10 minutes.”  

With a chuckle, she replied, “That is the most accurate description of a child in the throws of the terrible two’s ever.”

“You know I love the little shit with all my heart, but you’ve got the patience of a saint. I don’t know how you do it sometimes.”

She chuckled louder, her shoulders shaking in the process.  “I drink a lot in my head.”

The waitress approached with the check as you were both laughing and playfully sassing each other and finishing with her questions and concerns. 

You swiped it out of her reach.  “My treat.  It’s the least I can do.  Thank you for understanding, Val.”

“You’re welcome and, just because I understand, doesn't mean I don't want to kick your ass for it.  Oh, and I’m leaving the tip,” she insisted, pulling out her wallet.  You paid the bill and walked out into the sunshine together.  Before getting into your car for the short drive back to the office, you hugged it out and instantly your heart felt lighter, your burden lifted.    

Once in the car, she said, “I hope I get to meet him sometime soon.  He sounds like a wonderful man.”

Smiling warmly to yourself, you agreed, “He is.”

Watching your face, she added, “It’s no wonder you love him.”

Turning your head towards her quickly, you corrected, “Hey, I never said the “L” word.”

Valentina smirked and turned to look out the window. “You didn’t have to.  It’s all over that pretty little face of yours.  You’re a goner.”

There was no smart ass retort.  There was really nothing you could say to defend yourself against that assessment. 

The rest of the workday went smoothly. Chris sent you a late afternoon text to check in and you told him about your lunch date.  He was happy for you, comforted that you had a good support system closer to home than Jade and Dani could provide.  

Night time talks with Chris were short and sparse the rest of the week because of his late night shoots and he was on call for the weekend.  You kept yourself busy going strawberry picking with your family on Saturday.  Sunday was spent at the beach with Valentina and her family.  Chris loved the video you sent of you and Val’s son searching for seashells.  Milo would take a few steps then stop to wipe his left foot.  This went on for a bit before he finally proclaimed the beach to be “too sandy!” In a fit, he tried to kick the sand and wiped out, falling on his swim diaper clad butt.  That was when you found out how hilarious Chris found toddlers and their uncoordinated ways. 

Another video showed Milo running after the waves then racing away from them on his tiptoes.  Once he got covered in water by a large one, he discovered how much he like it and his dad had to keep close tabs to prevent their son from diving into the ocean. From your beach chairs,  you and Valentina watched them playing and discussed your upcoming Boston trip among other things.  

The forced separation from Chris, after your weekend together, proved to be a good thing. It allowed the relationship to develop and deepen without the physical component taking over. Through calls and video chats, you were able to turn on each other's minds as much as you turned on each other’s bodies. 

That is, until the night he was preparing himself dinner and was singing some old standards. You were half listening to him, lost in a daydream as you soaked in the scene and imagined being there with him.  It was an odd way to have a relationship.  At times, it felt almost voyeuristic when you weren’t actually talking to each other but instead watching the other go about their business.  That night, sitting at your laptop with your own meal, you got to watch him cook and he gave you a wonderful view of the show he was putting on. 

Those roaming thoughts were the reason why you almost didn’t catch it when he started being a  fuckwad.  The song he was humming and singing was “My Sweet Embraceable You.”  Or it was supposed to be.  

What he was actually singing was, “My Sweet Insatiable You.”  When you called him on it, he just smirked and shrugged his shoulders stating, “If the shoe fits.”

Chris was quite clever and you couldn’t help but laugh, but at the same time your feathers were a bit ruffled.  He had used  the word ‘insatiable’  to you that weekend you spent together, too.  Was that how he saw you?  Was there something wrong with that, or with you?  You didn’t mean to get defensive, but that’s exactly the way you felt right now.  Luckily for Chris, you hated to fight and went straight for snark, minding your tone since you knew this was really more your issue than his.  He was just trying to be a goofball, you knew he truly didn’t mean anything negative. 

“Excuse me, sir, but A.  It’s not as if I was the one initiating all the fuckery that weekend!”

“No, you weren’t.  You’ve got a point there.  But you also were ready to go at a moment’s notice from what I recall.”

“You know what, Evans?  You’re the reason middle fingers were created!” you said, flipping said fingers up on both hands and making them fly around the screen at him. “And B.  I had over three years worth of sexual frustration built up in me.  How the fuck was I supposed to act any different?”

“You acted exactly the way you should have,” he assured you as he walked to the table with his meal.  Once his plate and drink were down, he added, “And I thank you for it,” before raising his brow and saluting you.  

At the sound of you groaning “UGH,” he simply laughed around the food he was chewing, his shoulders shaking a little.  With a bit of mischief in his eyes, and still chewing just to piss you off more, he added, “In fact, I bet you’re writhing about in that bed of yours every night thinking of me. Clutching your pillow tight and groaning, OH CHRIS, OH CHRIS, OOOOH CHRISSS!"  

Alright, your annoyance was gone and was replaced with sarcastic battle mode.  Game on, motherfucker, game on.  

“Fine. You got me.  I admit it, sometimes I do just that.  When I’m alone with my new toys it’s a lot easier to moan ‘Chris’ than ‘Thor’ when his toy is bringing the thunder from down under. It just rolls off the tongue easier.”

You watched as he concentrated on cutting the food on his plate while questioning, “I thought we agreed that thing was going in the trash?”

Hmm, you seemed to have a hit a nerve.  Touche.  Deciding to not press it further, especially since it was a total lie, you changed tactics.

“Listen, buddy, I held off before you came along and I can hold off again. Maybe we’ll start over and I’ll revirginize myself. I’ll be the master and I’ll close the Cave of Wonders for a while. No more rides on my magic carpet. The Genie can stay in the bottle and Aladdin can take a hike.”  The longer this went the more impossible it was to keep a straight face.  You finally raised your fist in the air while shouting, “Fuck you, Abu!! Viva la Resistance!”

Chris practically choked on his food from laughter.  Watching him set you off and you laughed so hard you had to wipe the tears away.  Once he composed himself he asked, “So, should I be taking this as a threat here?”  

“Absolutely.  From now on I’ll be the ‘Master of my own domain.” 

“What, like that fahking thing they had in Seinfeld?”

“Yep.  No sex, no orgasms, even alone.  Can you say you could do the same?”

“Sure, when do we start?”  he said, giving you a face that said he wasn’t taking this seriously at all. 

“No time like the present, no release from this point forward.”

Now his face did drop a bit as the realization that you were dead serious actually sunk in.  

“Aw c’mon! We haven’t had a chance to, y’know, in a couple of nights because of the late shoots.  I was hoping we could have a little sexy candlelight time after dinner.”  Chris paused to give you big puppy dog eyes and a pout.  The fucker actually pouted.

“Would’ve been nice, but then I found out I’m a sex addict and need to check into rehab for a bit.”

Putting his index finger up he pointed at the screen. “Hey.  I never said you were a sex addict.  And you could always say, ‘No, No, No.”

Automatically, you found yourself singing the words back to him before chastising, “Hey!  Don’t think you can trick me into changing my mind with your little song.  I could totally see myself become an addict when it comes to you and I think it’s time I staged a little intervention for myself.”  After taking a sip of your water, you changed the subject by asking, “So, how’s the weather in Atlanta?”

He chewed slowly, a closed lip smile on his face.  His eyes were crinkled with humor and mischief as they assessed you.  Of course, he had to answer with a single word, said in a way that conveyed many things.  “Hot.”  You did everything you could to finish the call with your hands above the table. 

The next night was an early chat for you since Chris had to be on set by 7pm for night shooting.  He teased that you would break down that night and go for one of your “Cap” toys. You shook your head and sang to him, “Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby.” Deftly changing the subject, you were safe once more that night.   

The following evening was a close call.  Chris arrived for his Skype chat wearing nothing but basketball shorts and his chest glistening from sweat.  He advised that he had just gotten back from the hotel gym, but had forgotten to do some reps of his pushups. He dropped to the ground and began counting them off quickly, Dodger playfully pounced around him thinking he was on the floor to play.  

You were eating an apple while you watched and found yourself biting off chunks of it as your sexual excitement grew.  Nothing about the “domain” was discussed, the game was still afoot after all.  You were dying for release and ate a Hershey bar as a consolation prize.  

The Sandman of Porn paid you a visit and brought you a dream where an innocent workout session between you and Chris (who was apparently your trainer) turned hot and heavy and the two of you ended up fucking your brains out on a workout bench.  When you woke up you were wet between your thighs.

When Chris sent you a lunch time text to ask how you were, you answered honestly, “Horny!  Not gonna lie, I’d give anything for a fingertip vibe and some privacy!”

His reaction was immediate and included the time you should be ready to talk tonight.  He would be working late so dinner would be separate and it would be a chat in bed.  Perfect.

That night you gave up the title of “Master of your own Domain.”  One weekend of sex with Chris Evans and you no longer had the ability to withhold pleasure from yourself. In bed with your laptop that night, Chris made losing worthwhile.  His voice and the sexy way he focused his eyes on you through the screen had your body so ready you didn’t even need to lube up your toy.  You hid the fact that it was the big Thor vibe.  It really was your new favorite. 

Your feelings for Chris grew stronger and, by the time your trip to Boston arrived, there was no more denying that you were in love.  Not that you were about to do anything with that info. After all, there was still Lisa Evans to contend with.  You were scared as hell about what could happen if she didn’t like you for her son.  

Two days before your trip, you found yourself shopping in Target when you noticed Chris stalking you.  When you'd first walked in the store, you'd noticed there were Avenger themed toys and stationery items in the bargain bins.  The Cap shields on the clothing you passed next were to be expected, but seeing Chris’s face staring at you from a box of Cheez-It’s put you over the edge.  

“Are you ever going to stop stalking me?” you asked in a text before sending him a picture of the cracker box.  After that, you snapped photos of children’s plate sets, fidget spinners, bedding, toys, slippers, hats, cups-you name it, Cap was on it.  It was also on this trip that you decided to pick up some bribery for Dodger and bought him a couple of toys and treats.  

You made one more stop before going home to pick up a little something special to wear to bed in Boston as a surprise.

On the day of your trip, work let out at 3pm instead of 5pm and you made a pit stop in the bathroom to change into shorts and a t-shirt for the long ride to Sudbury. You hadn't anticipated just how long a ride it would be.  What would typically take around four hours took almost six because of heavy traffic and accidents.  When you were about an hour away, you stopped for gas and went inside to use the bathroom at the convenience store attached.  Grabbing a bottle of water and a snack, you made your way to the counter, but stopped when you spotted some really lovely bouquets of flowers in red, white and blue. Choosing one to bring for Lisa, you paid for your purchases and then finished your journey, tunes cranking and your voice holding it’s own concert in the car.  

Pulling up the long driveway, your headlights brought into view a sprawling, single story ranch style home.  It was white with black shutters on the  windows.  There was an attached two car garage and lots of trees.  His home was up on a bit of a hill and, while he had neighbors, they weren’t on top of each other.  

You’d never know a movie star lived here and, for some reason, that was a very comforting feeling.  Shouldering your large Vera Bradley tote, flowers in hand, you made your way to the front door.  Your heart was racing and you could feel yourself shaking a little inside in anticipation and nerves.  Looking around to see what could be viewed in the gardens proved pointless in the dark until a security light turned on when you neared the front door.  The sound of barking behind the door made you smile; as did the small Buddha statue on the edge of the landing, a Red Sox Gnome on the other side and a Patriots Fan doormat.  Yep, this was definitely the place.  

Before you could even ring the bell, the door opened and you locked eyes with Chris and watched as happiness spread across his face.  He may be actor, but when he was just being himself, he could be just as terrible at hiding emotions as you were.  Because you were looking up at him, you never noticed the dog bounding out at you until he was suddenly jumping up, his front legs swiping at your shirt.  With your hands full, there was no way to block yourself and Chris came to your rescue, pulling at the dog's collar and instructing him to calm down and let you in.  Dodger spun towards his owner and in his excitement accidentally headbutted him in the groin.  Chris swiftly let go of the collar and cupped his hands over his crotch.  

Wincing at the pain he must be in, you dropped your bag, placing the flowers on top, and bent  down to get Dodger away.  Eyeing Chris, you empathized, “Oooh, right in the kumquats!”  Rubbing Dodger’s head, you informed the dog, “You gotta be more careful there, buddy, your daddy’s going to need those some day.”

You heard Chris repeat the word “kumquat” with a laugh and a shake of his head, a smile creeping it’s way back across his face.  He looked at you and nodded, reassuring that he was okay.  With that dilemma resolved, it was time to formally meet your new friend.

Taking his adorable face into your hands, you made eye contact with the dog and said, “Can you sit, Dodger?”  He did so immediately. “Good boy.”  Squatting down to be at eye level, you put out your hand and introduced yourself.  “I’m Nicole, it’s very nice to meet you.”  The soft brown eyes stared back at your happily and his tongue hung out a bit as he panted and lifted his white paw, offering it to you for a shake   You looked up at Chris, nodding approvingly. “He’s a smart little fella. Great manners.”

The words had barely left your mouth when Dodger lunged forward and swiped a long lick up the side of your face. 

“Hey, buddy, no licking Nicole!  That’s for me to do.” 

Your eyes were shut against the assault as the dog paid no heed to his owner and was continuing to try and lick you around the hands you'd thrown up to protect your face.  The unexpected joke caused you to laugh loudly and you lost your balance, landing on your tush.  Dodger took this as his cue to pounce on you with even more kisses.  Beside you, Chris was laughing boisterously as he added, “You were saying about manners, Nicole?” 

Getting a hold of the dog’s collar, you were able to control how much contact he got with you.  Making a show of it, you slowly turned to look back at Dodger with a raised brow.  He gave a quick bark as his way of speaking to you before jumping out of your hold and throwing his legs down flat, butt in the air, fluffy tail wagging furiously as he watched you, his new playmate.  

“C’mon, Dodger, let’s get her up,” Chris said as he stood up and extended a hand towards you to help you get up.  You waved it away.

“It’s okay, he’s just excited, right baby?” you said, opening your arms in invitation to the pooch.  Dodger slowly walked towards you, head down watching your reaction.  When he got close enough, you started stroking his head and rubbing his back.  “Who’s a handsome boy?  Who’s the best puppies?  Yes, you are!  You’re so cute!” you crooned to him as he wagged that fluffy tail of his quickly back and forth, nuzzing into you and giving little licks this time.  When you stretched your legs out to sit more comfortably, he laid down across them.  

Looking up at Chris, you shrugged your shoulders and smiled, stating, “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon am I?”  Chris slowly shook his head back and forth.  “He’s claimed me for Spain!” you exclaimed in a funny voice as you bent over the pooch, hugging his torso and scratching his ears.  

Chris sat down beside you again and leaned in for a kiss of his own.  The problem was that every time you got as far as your lips meeting, Dodger would turn his head quickly and try to break you up.  After a few tries, you finally accepted defeat.  “We got it, Dodgy, licks first, kisses later.”  His owner settled in closer and you leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder as the dog crept his way across to claim part of Chris’s lap as well. 

“That was one hell of a drive for you, sweetheart.  I’m sorry it took so long to get here,” he said as he planted a kiss on the top of your head. 

“It was, but it’s worth it,” you said lifting up your head to sneak a kiss in while the warden was looking the other way.  

“Did you eat anything?” he asked.

“Not food, just picked at some grapes I packed and some junk food.  How about you?”

“Nope, I was waiting for you to get here.  I was at my mom’s today and she sent me home with a container of spaghetti and meatballs for us.  She figured, correctly, that I wouldn’t have any food in the house.”

“Aww, that was so thoughtful!  I totally get why you wouldn’t have food, you’re hardly here these days.”

“Exactly!  My fridge is pretty much beer and water, and the dairy I pick up for the days I’m here, you know, for my coffee and stuff.  Sometimes I just pick that stuff up while I’m out and don’t bother buying anything at all.”

“Ah, the life of the jet setting bachelor,” you mused.

“Bachelor, my ass.  This jet setter is completely off the market.”

You bit back a smile and felt warmth spreading across your cheeks and neck as his words sunk in and you snuggled in a little deeper into him. 

“Shit, you must be starved, Nic.  Let me get the furman off of you so we can get into the kitchen and I can show you around.”  Chris whistled and Dodger instantly rolled off of your legs and stood up, waiting at attention.  Accepting the hand this time, you let Chris pull you up.  When he shouldered your bag and took the flowers, you followed his lead and walked beside him towards the bedrooms, hands clasped behind your back as you looked around trying to take everything in.  

The front door had opened to a large space with hardwood floors.  On the left was a formal dining room. Simple and elegant and looking like it hadn’t been used in a while.  On the right was a cream colored leather sectional set up upon a large brown area rug.  It faced a wall with a fireplace and large flat panel TV mounted above it.  The wall separated the space behind it into hallways on either side.  On the right, which is the path he took you down, was a home office.  The door to it had glass panels and you could see the desk with a Mac on it, shelves brimming with books.  You spotted filing cabinets and a black leather sofa in there with a lamp beside it.  

Chris pointed out the two guest rooms next as you went past them, but you didn’t take the time to go into them and the lights were off so you had no view inside.  At the end of the hall, you had to make a left turn as the house was basically a U shape behind that living room wall.  There was a guest bath on the right and he pointed out a door on the left that was a walk in closet.  It was the space behind that fireplace wall and you could only imagine how large it must be.  Definitely something to poke around in tomorrow.  

At the end of that hallway was the master bedroom.  It was exactly what you expected from him.  Simple, minimal objects.  He had a king sized sleigh bed that was a deep rich brown.  Nightstands on either side with matching brushed silver based lamps and soft white lampshades. There were a few books on one of them.  On the front wall was a long dresser sitting atop a thin beige rug.  There was large rectangular wood framed mirror above it that matched the set.  Very few objects were on the dresser itself, just a simple black leather box that probably held jewelry.  You noted, with a little smile, that the small pouch of affirmations you made him was on the dresser beside it.  There was a tiny Buddha statue and framed photo of Chris and his mom making snow angels from when he was a child, from the looks of it around six or seven years old. 

A brown leather club chair in far corner sat upon another beige rug.  To your right, when you entered, stood a tall dresser that had a few framed photos of his family and, to your delight, the small plush hammerhead shark you'd sent him for his birthday.  No doubt up there so it would stay out of Dodger’s reach. He placed your bag on the foot of the bed and held the flowers out to you with a questioning raise of his brow.

“They’re for your mom tomorrow.  I just couldn’t show up empty handed. You did tell her I offered to make something, right?”

“Of course I did and she was elated at the offer.”  He paused to look at the flowers for a moment. “She’s going to be very happy with these.  I’ll put them in some water once we get to the kitchen.”  Putting them down on the bed he clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly.  “For now, what would make me happy is  _ fiiiinally  _ getting a proper hello kiss from you.” He was just getting his arms around you when you ducked out of his hold.  

“And after I use the bathroom, I’d be happy to oblige.  It was a very long ride, I’m about to start doing the peepee dance.”

While washing your hands, a couple minutes later, you took in the details of the bathroom.  It wasn’t overly huge, but it was large.  In the corner opposite the toilet was a shower stall that was all glass.  The floor in the bathroom was marble tile in a beige and white tone.  The inside of the shower was very similar, the large square tiles only a little bit lighter in color, accented with small squares of shiny dark brown.  There was a built in seating ledge at the back and dark bronze fixtures including a rain shower head hanging in the middle.  The deep tub, to the left of the shower, was separate and set in dark wood panelling and surrounded by a granite ledge in various shades of brown and cream.  The sink and cabinets to the right of the shower matched it.  There was a large, long mirror above the sink, which had the same bronze fixtures as the shower.  The counters wrapped around giving plenty of space for items, not that he had many out with all the cabinets for storage beneath it.  The cabinets ended beside the toilet.  You loved this space, heck you loved this house and you hadn’t even seen all of it yet. 

Chris was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing Dodger’s head when you came out.  The second you did, he stood up and made his way towards you with a sexy, sweet smile on his beautiful lips.  

“No escaping this time, I’ve gotcha!” he said as he put his arms around you, locking them together and quickly pulling you to him. 

“You had me at hello.”

He tilted his head back, rolling his eyes at the movie line with a smile before turning his face back down towards you.  After a few sucking kisses, he rested his face against yours and whispered, “I’ve missed you so much.”

The words caused warmth to spread throughout your body and you tightened your own hold on his back.  “God how I’ve missed you, too,” you said in a breathy voice back while looking into his eyes so he could see just how much.  There was so much you wanted to say, but couldn’t, for one reason or another, so you let your eyes convey it all for you.  He seemed to have read the message loud and clear, because his hand moved up to your face and tilted it as he went in for the first real, deep kiss of the night.  Your tongues immediately fell into the familiar rhythm against each others and your body pressed against his on instinct.  His other hand held it tight, reaching down to caress your curves.  Your own hands had moved up to his neck and the back of his head, playing with the soft hair there, stroking his beard covered face.  It was only a few weeks of growth, but it was past the prickly point and starting to get soft.  

Dodger decided it had been long enough, after a few minutes, and started nosing his way in between you both, breaking the kiss.  

Looking down at him, you slowly shook your head and lamented, “If it’s not our moms then it’s your dog.  We’re surrounded by cockblockers everywhere we go.”

Chris chuckled and scratched at Dodger’s ears while telling him he’d be locked out of the room if he really tried to cockblock later.  You were smiling as walked to the bed and opened your bag to pull out a toy you’d brought to bribe the dog.  It was a flat stuffed animal that was supposed to be indestructible and had a squeakie toy inside. It looked like a squirrel and the dog went crazy when he saw it, jumping in circles doing a little happy dance of his own.  You tossed it into the hallway and he ran to get it, bringing it back a few times until he decided he needed some alone time with it and walked off towards the living room.  

“Fuck, you must be starved!  I’m sorry, babe, I should’ve offered you some food first.”

“Nonsense, your lips were the only thing I was hungry for.  Until now that is,” you said as you put a hand to your belly as it growled.  

“Follow me, I’ll show you around the rest of the place on the way.”

You hooked a right out of his bedroom and walked down the hall back to the living room.  There were collage style picture frames on the walls and you made a mental note to look at them when you had a moment.  

There was a sliding glass door that led to a screened in porch just off the living room/dining room area.  With the lights off and darkness outside it was impossible to make out any details.   You followed Chris through a set of rich oak, glass panel doors into the kitchen.  

This room really brought a smile to your face and made your eyes light up.  It wasn’t crazy or over the top; it was simple and very much to your own style.  Rich oak cabinets topped with beautiful brown speckled granite countertops that formed a half circle.  The wood floors gleamed. He had brushed stainless steel appliances and there was a small table in the corner.  It was set against the back of the house with windows behind it and looked out over the backyard and the porch.  It was a simple, well worn and used wood table with cream colored upholstered chairs.  You could tell this is where he actually dined, this space felt lived in.  He had his laptop open and charging upon it.  

“You have a beautiful home, Chris,” you complimented as you looked around at the lighting and the way it bounced off the cream colored backsplash.  

“I’m glad you approve,” he jested with a cock of his head as he smiled at you and turned towards the fridge. 

“No edison bulbs but, hey, you can’t be perfect right?”

“As a matter of fact, I just ordered some from Amazon.  They’ll be here in two days.”

“Shut up, you didn’t!” you exclaimed, slapping the counter quickly as you said it.

With a bowl of pasta in hand, he laughed, shaking his head and keeping his face down as he confirmed. “No, you’re right. Actually I didn’t.”

“Gah! I can’t believe I fell for that.”

“I am an actor.”

“Yeah but you’re not that good.”

Clutching his chest, he pretended to have been hurt, but he knew you were just teasing him.  You took a seat at the bar stool along the counter and watched as he took out plates and set about warming up the dinner.  He got himself a beer from the fridge and gave you a bottle of water as requested.  

Over dinner, which was delicious, you asked a question that had been nagging at you since it popped into your head on the drive to his home. “What’s the chance of a photo of us getting snapped by the paparazzi around here?”

“Minimal.  Not something I worry about when I’m home.  This is a small town, tight knit, and it takes care of it’s own.  My having this house is not something I’ve ever seen come up on the web.  The location keeps it away from prying eyes.  The few times a strange car or person has been spotted lurking about, a neighbor has always gone out to question them and scare them away.”

“Some fans and paps must know where your mom lives though.”

“Some, yeah, but we’ve been lucky.  No one really bothers her and the party tomorrow is in the back with lots of tall privacy bushes surrounding the yard.   It’s just family and some neighbors that come every year.”  

Your face must’ve still looked dubious because he put his arm around you and kissed your forehead.  “Trust me, we’ll stay off the radar as long as possible. If there was something to worry about, I’d already be doing it enough for the both of us.”

That calmed your mind because you knew it was the truth.  Protecting yourself and your relationship from the outside world was important to you and you knew it was for him as well.  

You helped with the cleanup and dried the dishes for him after, no reason to use the dishwasher for so few when he was only here another day.  Dodger had sat patiently, but expectantly during the entire meal and he'd really become your buddy when Chris had let you give him a meatball from your plate.  The fastest way to any man's heart was through his stomach, after all.  

With the dishes put away, Chris turned and gave you a drop dead sexy look.  He took your fingers into his and began playing with them before lifting your hand to his lips.  Planting little kisses on the back, then the palm, then the wrist and finally coming back to your lips, Chris enticed you with what he said next, “I’m thinking after all that driving you could use a nice hot shower to relax your muscles.  Wanna take one together?”

“Mmm, I thought you’d never ask,” you murmured against his lips before capturing them for a slow, languid kiss.  It ended abruptly when he scooped you up and carried you to the master bedroom.  You were clinging to him and laughing into his neck the whole way, surprised by the sudden move.  

He set you down by the bed and you took the toiletry pouch out of your travel bag, moving the bag to the floor after and proceeding to bathroom with your things.  Chris was already in there warming up the water.  He was naked, by the time you reached the bathroom, and you pulled out the few things you needed for the shower. You began to undress and relished in watching him growing hard at the sight of your body as it was slowly exposed to him.  

Chris opened up the shower door and stepped in under the spray, the water cascading down the cut lines of his body, and curled a finger towards you, calling you over.  Seeing that body would never cease to amaze you.  Knowing that you were the girl that got to touch that body intimately made you feel like you’d hit the cosmic lottery. 

You stepped in and closed the door behind you and, in the same instant, he was on you.  There were jets in the walls that made sure both of your bodies benefited from the hot spray of water as he turned you so that the main shower head was right above you, keeping you warm and soaked.  As if you weren’t already feeling soaked in other spots because of him.  

You tilted your head back into the water and Chris took this move as an invitation to start to work magic on your neck, letting his tongue run along your skin before changing to a sucking kiss, while making his way up to your chin.  When he reached your lips, he took a hold of the back of your head and began to kiss you hungrily, making up for the weeks you’d been apart.  He let go of your head and both of you allowed your hands to roam. His fingers found the spot between your legs that made you moan into his mouth, your hand found his shaft and you worked it with a combination of strokes as your other hand continued to prowl.  You were recapturing the knowledge of the each other’s body as you connected again.   

Once the initial need was quenched, the kissing slowed and you broke apart to take care of the actual reason you were in the shower.  You washed your hair, Chris helped a little with the massaging of it into your scalp, but he stood back this time and watched you work saying he liked the way your boobs jumped and jiggled from the motion.  You flung a little sudsy shampoo his way for being an ass.  He soaped himself up and washed his own hair and you took the time to admire the way the water ran down his body as well.  You were washing your delicate areas and, while watching him, your hand stayed down there, stroking over your sex.  He caught you looking and spotted your hand before giving you a wicked smile.  “Come here, that's my job,” he called in a low sexy voice as he palmed some of your body wash and had you turn around so he could wash your breasts, pushing them together and pinching your nipples a little before moving down your stomach.  They were already clean but you weren’t about to stop him, it felt too good to have your back pressed against him and his hands on you.    

Chris’s hands moved to your back and he ran his thumbs down your spine to your waist.  As his hands slowly made their way back up your spine he added a little pressure to show that he wanted you to bend forward towards the built in bench, your hands reaching out to brace yourself against it.  

He dropped to his knees and washed your legs, avoiding your womanhood that was probably visibly throbbing in front of his face by this point.  Running his large hands up your inner thighs, he spread your legs apart a bit more and brought his face in close. Even through the steam of the shower, you could feel his breath, even hotter, as he inhaled a moment before bringing his tongue out to stroke over your folds to take a taste.  Your head dropped between your shoulders, instantly, at the sensation.  He continued slowly and enticingly running his tongue over your most private areas, sucking your clit into his mouth and causing you to go up on your toes a few times when new and exciting areas were touched by his mouth.  Chris’s hands had been resting on your hips, holding you in place, but he let go with one and brought his fingers by his mouth, poking his tongue out to lick you as he inserted one finger, then two, into your aching core.  Within seconds, you were crying out, pushing your palms into the tile as your body gyrated with the orgasm building and finally bursting through through you.  His fingers continuing to fuck you while you rode it out, his mouth now being used for words, some sexy and some downright filthy, encouraging you to let loose and cum for him.  

Straightening once your legs stopped shaking, you turned quickly in his arms and reached up to take a hold of the back of his neck before attacking his mouth with your own, tasting yourself upon his lips and not giving a fuck about it.  Your hand found his stiff dick and began stroking him harder and faster than before.  He took hold of your wrist to stop the handjob and broke the kiss.  With his other hand, he smoothed your hair back, pushing it off of your face.  “I wanna make love to you,” he said, huskily, pupils blown wide with lust as they pleaded for you to say yes.  

“Then what are we waiting for?”  you replied, reaching out to shut off the water.  He took a large towel off the rack in the back of the stall and wrapped you in it before taking another for himself.  

You opened the door and stepped out onto the bathmat first then you both dried off quickly and finished while walking towards the bed.  Chris reached it first and took a condom out of his night stand, sheathing his rock hard cock, while you pulled down the covers. 

Chris made his way onto the bed, taking your hand and pulling you to sit on top of him, straddling his waist.  He didn’t enter you, instead folding his dick up against his belly.  In this position, it put delicious pressure against your clit and, as you kissed and undulated your hips, it kept building up more and more pleasure.  He let go of your mouth and claimed your throat, sucking and licking his way down a trail that led to your breasts. 

Your arms left his body and braced themselves on the bed behind as your back arched under his touch.  His large hands started at your waist and worked their way up, palming your tits and holding them while he stroked his tongue over your sensitive buds.  You moaned loudly when he sucked your nipple into his mouth, devouring them each as he moved from one to the other.  Your hips were rocking against his dick now, making it slick with your juices, and you were pulsing with the need to have him inside of you.  

He must have sensed the shift, because he wrapped his arms around your torso, pulling you straight up and pressing your chest against his as he leaned back a bit.  Reaching down, you took hold of his erection and lifted your hips so that you could line him up with your entrance and slowly sank down upon him.  You both groaned as he bottomed out, pausing a moment to allow your body to adjust to his girth.  He embraced you tightly and started to thrust up into you as your mouths met for another deep and passionate kiss.  You had your arms around the tops of his shoulders, nails digging into the hard flesh of his back while you let your hips grind against him, keeping his cock buried deep within you.  You could feel it throb and squeezed your inner muscles, milking it and got a deep guttural groan from Chris as a reward.  

The need to feel him sliding within you caused you to change position a bit.  You moved one hand behind your body to brace against the bed and dug your heels into the mattress behind him so that you ride him harder.  His hands stroked your breasts, your hair, everywhere he could touch as he watched your face.  You were panting while making sounds that drove him to thrust up harder into you.  This position was putting intense pleasure points onto your clit and you were starting to feel that familiar pull that signaled an orgasm was close. 

Before you got there, Chris took control of things.  He lifted you up and then laid you down, taking your legs and moving them over his shoulders.  He entered you again in one powerful thrust causing you to cry out his name.  

Holding himself in place, ever so gently rocking himself inside of you, he looked at you with a sexy smirk and said, “There’s no one here but us, no neighbors on the other side of the wall.  Be as loud as you want to be, don’t hold back.  I know I don’t plan to.”    

Chris pulled out completely and thrust back into you hard and you held nothing back.  The angle allowed him to penetrate you fully and hit spots you didn’t know you had.  Groans and cries of ecstasy  filled the room and he took you harder and faster until you exploded, gasping for air as you practically screamed his name and a bunch of sounds that couldn’t be described.  He released your legs and lowered himself on top of you.  Chris took your hands and held them above your head, taking a moment to swipe a few licks over the skin of your breast and taking your nipple into his mouth again.  When he felt your hips moving against him once again, he made his move.  He worked his hips and found the hard and fast rhythm he needed to find his own release that was so strong you could feel it’s pressure and warmth even through the condom.  He collapsed onto you, boneless and heavy, but you didn’t care; he had you wrapped up in his arms and was placing the most delicate kisses along the edges of your face, speaking just above a whisper about how amazing you were, how beautiful, how much he loved being with you.  You didn’t say anything back, he didn’t seem to want you to. This was just a tender moment, a tender gift, he was giving you.  Your smiled against his jaw and the soft kisses your planted there told him how much you loved hearing it.  You could’ve stayed like this forever.  

Even forever must come to an end and Chris eventually made his way off of you, stopping to look at you when he stood up in a way that melted every piece of your heart.  You were in deep, but it still didn’t feel like the right time to tell him how you felt.  It was still too early and if he wasn’t there 100% yet, you risked pushing him away.  Better to keep quiet about it for now and just enjoy this.  

You had rolled over onto your side with your back to the edge of the bed.  Used to being alone you didn’t think twice about laying there naked and so it was a surprise that made you jump at the feeling of Dodger’s wet nose pressed against your butt cheek.  Chris was just walking out of the bathroom and fell back against the wall in hysterics, clutching at his chest at the sight.  He pushed off the wall and came towards the bed, waving his hand to shoo the dog away.  Dodger had been in the living room and you never heard the ninja dog coming while you were lost in thought.  His new toy was on the floor beside the bed and he woofing at you, head poking over the edge of the bed as you lay there laughing, head pressed against your arms that were folded on the bed.  Even your feet were kicking with amusement at the shock. After pulling on some underwear, Chris came over and sat beside you as your shoulders shook with amusement.

Chris began to apologize and you rolled over, pointing your butt away from the boys, as you shook your head to stop him.  “Sorry for what, I totally set myself up for that.  He was just doing what dog’s do when they meet someone new.  They sniff each other’s butts.”  The look on his face and Dodger’s raised ear and cocked head set you off with fresh laughter.  You pushed yourself to the edge of the bed and stood up. 

“I’m going to go freshen up before bed.”  Placing a kiss against Chris’s waiting lips, you could taste the hint of minty toothpaste there, and gave Dodger a little scratch at the top of his head, looking at him endearingly.  

“I’ll let this nosy boy out and meet you back in bed,” Chris said, standing up and clapping his hands before saying, “C’mon boy.”

You took care of your nightly routine and joined Chris who was already in bed.  Not bothering with pajamas, you slipped into bed naked beside him, relishing the warmth of his own naked body, the robe he had tied around himself to let the dog out was draped over the corner chair.  

Nestled into his side and talking, you heard a whine from Dodger on the opposite side of the bed.  

“What’s the matter, puppy?” you asked as his head popped up and he rested his chin on the bed. 

“He’s just cranky because he’s on the floor.”

“Why, where does he normally sleep.”

Looking around sheepishly, Chris answered, “I know I shouldn’t, but I let him sleep in the bed with me most of the time.”

“So why isn’t here in the bed now?” you asked, rising up on your forearm to look down at Chris. 

He shrugged his shoulders against the pillow and explained, “I don’t know, I guess I just figured you wouldn’t want him to be.  He’s been told 'No' before, I just assumed that’s how all girls would be.”

Letting the idea of other women come in and swiftly out of your brain, you looked at him pointedly and asked, “Is this his house?”

“Yes,” he answered, looking back at you, a hint of a smile beginning to come across his face.

“Does he normally sleep in this bed with you?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s move the fuck over and make room for him.”  

Chris raised his head and kissed you, a wide happy expression taking over his entire face now.  You both scooted to the left and he patted the bed on his side.  His fur baby wasted no time claiming his rightful spot.  

Settling back down into your own little nook, you felt Chris’s hand stroke over your back, even as you watched his other do the same to Dodger’s.  You met the caramel brown eyes on the other side of his chest and gave him a wink.  You could have sworn you saw him wink back.  

Within a few short minutes, you heard Chris’s breathing slowing down, sleep beginning to take hold a little faster for him than for yourself.  

Still stroking his hand on your back, although getting slower by the second, you heard him mumble, “I’m a lucky man.” 

He drifted off into sleep quickly after that.  You laid there for a bit, mind racing too much to fall asleep.  If the looks and vibe he gave you tonight were any indication, Chris felt as strongly about you as you did about him.  There was a nagging feeling in your gut that told you tomorrow would be key.  If his family, specifically Lisa, approved of you things could take a giant leap forward.  If they didn’t, who knows what would happen next.  It was out of your control either way.  The only thing you could do was be yourself, he’d call you out in a heartbeat if you weren’t being genuine anyway, and focus on enjoying the day with Chris.  Lord knows they were few and far in between.  

Your arm was stretched across Chris’s chest and you hand had been absentmindedly stroking Dodger.  A lick to your hand burst your worry bubble and brought you back to the moment.  He gave a few more before resting his head upon his owner’s chest, watching you.  His eyes closed as you stroked his head which was rising and falling along with Chris’s breathing.  Their soft breaths and the feel of his fur under your fingers calmed your mind and drifted off, feeling more confident about tomorrow already.  After all, you were already Dodger approved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration for this chapter was "Heaven Help" by Lenny Kravitz


	32. Hold on my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole enjoy some couple time in the morning before she gets to know his family over lunch.

You slowly opened your eyes and blinked a few times as your mind shifted from the haze of dreamland to the reality of where you were.  Rubbing your eyes and letting out a satisfying yawn you found yourself alone in the room.  Stretching out like a cat, you took in your surroundings and relished the feel of the soft white sheets and cozy warm bed.  The sun was strong and it was shining through the slightly opened slats of the wooden blinds, casting the room in a soft golden glow.  A look at the nightstand showed it was late, already 10:30 am.  You felt stupidly happy, totally relaxed and completely refreshed.  

Rolling over, you clasped Chris’s pillow to your body, gently taking in his scent as you rested your cheek and hand upon it.  There was no stopping the smile that crossed your face as you remembered the night before.  That feeling you’d had the moment you’d seen him again as he’d opened the door, a peace (with a few butterflies), was a reaction you hoped to always feel when you were around him.  As for the rest of the evening, there had been no denying that he knew how to work your body in ways that continued to blow your mind.  This man seemed to have a hold of you completely, body and soul.

After a deep, contented sigh, you forced yourself up and out of the bed and made your way into the master bath and then got dressed in a tank top with no bra and a pair of sleep shorts.  Keeping it casual, you tossed your hair up into a bun with a hair tie, then opened the door to the hall. 

When you had walked through the house the previous evening, you had taken note of things overall, but not so much the details.  Between the excitement of seeing Chris and meeting Dodger, not to mention the sheer exhaustion of so many hours of driving, your brain just hadn't registered the little things.  This morning, however, you were no longer the weary traveler.  You'd slept like the dead last night with only a vague recollection of rolling off of Chris when he got up to let Dodger out.

In the light of day, and with fresh eyes, you were able to take in some details you'd missed the prior night. For instance, a stop in front of the collage frames mounted to the wall in the hallway showed that they were filled with photos of Chris and his family during visits to Disney World and Disneyland.  Some of them were the professional shots taken by cast members while others appeared to be candids.  All of the photos, however, showcased a warm and loving family having the time of their lives.  There were four frames in total to view as you made your way towards the living room and kitchen.  You loved seeing how much the kids had changed and grown from one visit to the next.  

As soon as you reached the couch at the end of the hall, Dodger came bounding out of the kitchen towards you, his tail high in the air and wagging furiously.  He had the toy you'd given him in his mouth and he squeaked it at you before snuffling around it, a muffled bark telling you he wanted to play.  Just like his owner, Dodger could melt your heart with a single look into his eyes.  The desire to see Chris was strong, but who could resist this cutie pie?  Certainly not you! Dodger, suddenly, stretched his front legs out, dropping down low and sticking his fluffy tailed rear end high up in the air.  You loved the way his front paws made it look like he was wearing a pair of white socks.  Dodger whined and gave you a tiny bark as he dropped his new buddy, daring you to try and get it.  You slowly reached for it and he swooped it up in the knick of time, flinging it up into the air.  You caught it and the game was afoot as he challenged you to tug of war and “see if you can get it before I do.”   

You were seated on the floor playing with the fluffy tailed wonder, when you heard Chris clearing his throat. You swiftly looked up and spotted him in the archway that separated the kitchen from the dining room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.  He was looking fine as ever in his well worn red RVCA t-shirt and a pair of grey basketball shorts. “Well good morning, sleepyhead,” he singsonged before giving you a cheeky smile.   

“Good morning, handsome.” You called back, grinning widely at him.  You realized too late that your choice of words was a mistake.  Over Skype, you'd frequently called Dodger “Handsome” and when he heard it, he reacted by giving you tons of “kisses” all over your face. As you ducked and weaved, trying your best to thwart Dodger’s attempts to French kiss you, all you could hear was hysterical laughter coming from his owner.  You briefly opened an eye to glare his way and saw him in full thigh slapping, chest grabbing amusement mode.  

Rearing your head back as you held Dodger’s muzzle in your hand, you shouted, “Are you just gonna stand there, or can you help a girl out?”

“And miss this show?  Nevah!  Get her, boy!” he urged, encouraging more aggressive licking.

“Asshole!” you cried out, leading Chris to double down his efforts at getting Dodger riled up.  Before you could brace yourself, Dodger pounced and took you down flat onto your back.  

“Dodger, baby, no!” you protested even though you were smiling.  After getting a mouthful of fur,  you turned your head to the side and he went for your ear and the ticklish spot just beneath it.  You were yelling “stop” but it was barely recognizable through your uncontrollable laughter.  Finally, you managed to squeak out, “Chris, HELP!!!” as you peered around and spotted him taking in the show from a dining room chair with tears running down his bright red cheeks.  

Chris slowed down his own laughter long enough to say a command that got your assailant’s attention and he leapt off of you to go to his daddy.  There was no leaping for you.  The only thing you could manage right now was to lay there like a slug, flat on your back with your arms out as you attempted to catch your breath.   

“You alright, babe?” Chris checked in from across the room.

Pulling yourself back up to a sitting position, you let out a deep sigh and slowly shook your head.  “I don’t know what kind of Wheaties you give this dog, but _ dayum  _ is he a strong pouncer!’  

Your face and neck were still a bit wet and just your hand wasn’t going to do much to change that.  You pulled the bottom of your camisole up and used it to wipe up.  It came up a bit high, exposing the bottom of your breasts, and a devilish smile broke across your face when you heard Chris mutter, “Now that’s a part of you  _ I’d  _ like to get my tongue on.”  Somehow, that top of yours came up even higher and your tits popped out, whoops!

“Why you evil woman,” you heard Chris say slowly as you finished cleaning up.  With a smirk, you lowered your shirt and stood up, making your way over to the boys.  After planting a quick kiss and murmuring a “Good Morning” against his lips, you walked through the doorway into the kitchen to finish washing the slobber off of yourself.

Chris appeared behind you, arms coming up around your waist as he snuggled his face into your neck.  “Are you hungry, babe?  I didn’t have anything in the house so I ran out and got us some bagels and coffee.  It’s still hot, I had it put into travel mugs for us.” 

You shut off the water and dried your hand on the towel beside the sink.  Spinning in his arms, you took his face into your hands and gave him a big, wet, smack of a kiss for being so thoughtful.  If heart-eyes were a real thing, he would totally be seeing them right now.  

“That’s perfect, because I’m sta-hvin,” you whined in a butchered Boston accent. 

Shaking his head quickly, Chris closed his eyes and muttered a string of “no’s” before ending with, “Nicole, it’s not 'sta-hvin,' it’s 'stah-vin.'”  

“That’s what I said, 'sta-hvin'.”

“No, it’s not!  You said it the wrong way.”

This was too much fun.  You continued trying the word, putting the emphasis on all different parts of it, saying it all different ways, except for the correct one.  Finally, Chris threw his hands up in defeat and exclaimed, “That’s it!  I’m beggin’ you please stop trying to speak like my people until you’ve gotten proper lessons!”

“Okay, okay.  But can we eat now, because I’m stahvin!”

The look in his eyes was priceless.  Damn, did you enjoy playing with him.  

“Cah-mon, let’s eat. I’m stah-vin, too,” he said, looking pointedly your way. “ Wanna eat on the porch?  It’s gorgeous out today.”

With a flick of your wrist you motioned, “Lead the way, Sir.”

Chris picked up the paper bag containing bagels and his travel mug and you followed behind with your own mug in hand.  While you walked, he began to sing.  “I _ t’s a beautiful morning.  I’ll think I’ll go outside for a while, and just smile. _ ”  Upon reaching the sliding glass doors, he motioned with his head for you to open for him, and then you followed him to the glass table in the middle of the screened in porch, Dodger darting between the two of you.  

“I’m going to have that song stuck in my head all day now, thanks, dillweed,” you chastised, sarcastically.

He just tossed a megawatt smile your way, continuing to hum, as he opened the bag and took out the bagels.  He opened the paper wrapper to check which one was yours and placed it in front of you as you sat down. Dodger’s head immediately found a spot on your lap in the hopes that you’d feed him.  

“Dude, c’mon, you ate already and you were trained better than that, git!” Chris said, waving his hand so Dodger would go lay down.  

Taking out his own bagel, a cinnamon raisin one, he sat down and gestured to yours before saying, “An egg everything with cream cheese, right?  That’s what you ordered when I came to see you.”

He'd remembered your freakin’ bagel order from almost three weeks ago?  That made you pause in shock for a few seconds.  “You are correct and you also have a very good memory.”  You watched as he adorably smiled shyly, brows rising and falling quickly at the compliment.  “Thank you for getting this, by the way,” you added, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss.  You took a long first sip of your coffee and closed your eyes briefly as you enjoyed the strong flavor.  The jingle from the commercial  wasn’t wrong, it truly was one of the best parts of waking up.  When you opened your eyes it was to discover Chris watching you with a sweet smile.  

“You really love your coffee, don’t you, Nic?”

Looking him dead in the eyes, you said seriously and with complete sincerity, “I love my coffee as much as you love your beer.”

“That’s a whole fucking lot then.”

“You bet your sweet ass it is,” you replied, earning a laugh from Chris as you went back for another sip before starting in on your bagel. 

Hearing birds chirping, you looked around at the view of the yard from the porch.  It was pretty big, almost parklike. There was a large clearing, dotted here and there by giant evergreens.  A wood fence surrounded the yard; separating it from the thick forest of pine trees that stood on the other side.  He had neighbors, but with the location and setup of the home it was clear he was shielded from them. 

While eating, you started talking about the plans for today, finding out you were supposed to be at his mom’s house around 1:30. She lived nearby, but he wanted to leave early so that he could take you on a tour of his old haunts and special places.  

He started reminiscing about those places and became rather animated, his hands added so much more to the story than just his words.  You asked questions and interjected here and there, but your mind was definitely wandering after a bit.  Chris was a pleasure to watch; a master storyteller with his big smile, gregarious laughter and genuine joy. That combination was incredibly dangerous because it gave you a strong urge to take his hand, look him the eyes and admit, “Chris. I think I love you.  You don’t have to say it back, but I want you to know that’s how I feel about you.”

The only thing that held you back was the pact you'd made with yourself yesterday during the long drive here.  There was plenty of time to think through all different scenarios and play them out in your head. Lots of time to talk things through, sometimes aloud.  

This relationship was so different than anything you’d ever experienced before.  Even though you’d met almost two months ago the reality was that you’d only spent around 5 days together.  You hadn’t even been together in the same room since he'd spent the weekend at your place. Your past had left you a little bitter, and a lot cautious, and yet that weekend together had been enough for the chains you'd kept locked around your heart to begin popping open.  The long conversations between then and now had only helped to further loosen them.  

Your gut was telling you that he was feeling something similar. His actions and little comments showed this to you, even if he wasn’t saying the words yet, either.  You puzzled over that and kept coming back to the same conclusions: he was waiting to see how you got along with his family, and waiting to see how things were between you both in person a few more times.  You were aware of his past, you knew he had to be careful because of the media and you were fairly certain he wanted to avoid more public breakups. 

The one thing you guys had done a lot of was talk, and it was obvious you both had some scars and were being careful about adding more. There were other possibilities for his hesitation, of course, but these just felt right.  The family thing especially resonated for you.  Chris could say all he wanted to about how his mother’s opinion of a girl didn’t affect him, but you knew better. 

For your part, you realized that as important as this meeting of the family was to Chris, it was equally important to you.  After all, if things worked out, you would be spending a lot of time with the Evans clan.  They had to pass your tests as well.  Hearing how great they all are from Chris was one thing, he was a bit biased after all, but meeting them and seeing how the vibe was between you and them completely another.  The feeling had to be mutual between you and Chris’s family before you would consider taking off the final chains from your heart.  

There was also a nagging thought at the back of your mind that you could be seeing a whole different side of him today.  The last time you had gotten together it had been at your brother’s house.  Chris was there as a guest of your family and, although he did drink, it wasn’t much and he was on his best behavior.  This time around he would be with the people he was most comfortable around in the world.  Whether or not he would be drinking lots of beer wasn’t even a question.  The question was, what if you didn’t like who he became at that point?  You knew plenty of people over the years that you truly enjoyed hanging out with, but not when they drank.  Some got too loud, some nasty, others just turned into total obnoxious assholes.  

As a fan you had tiny glimpses into the side of him when he had his guard down and had a few, but he was a very private man and didn’t let people see behind the curtain very often.  There had been footage and interviews of him inebriated that gave you an idea that he just turned into a sort of sappy Golden Retriever, but seeing it for your own eyes was different.  You truly hoped that when drinking he would turn out to be a lovable mush, and not some annoying frat boy, which could be a deal breaker. 

Keeping your guard up at this point was a must.  If, for any reason, things didn’t work out over this holiday, there was a chance that your relationship could be over. If you didn’t maintain some hold of your heart then you would be leaving it out in the open to be shattered.  Your level of self preservation was way too high for that.  But it was tough.  When you'd come into contact with him last night, the feelings you had amplified tenfold.  You just had to get through today and tomorrow and then re-evaluate for yourself before making the next move.  

You were so wrapped up in your own head that you hadn’t noticed that Chris had stopped talking until he asked, “What’s wrong.”  You looked up, a little startled, and watched as he took a sip of his coffee.  You quickly downed the remainder of yours.  

As nonchalantly as possible, you responded, “Nothing, just enjoying the coffee.  This Bahston bagel was great, by the way.”

“I know it is, but stop deflecting.  You’re worrying about something.  Spill it.”

In your most sugary sweet tone, you answered, in the hopes of throwing him off, “How do you know I’m not just visualizing your stories and thinking about what a lovely day it is and how happy I am to be here with you?”  

“I know because when you worry you wiggle your toes against the floor and play with the ends of your hair that you’ve pulled down from your bun.”  As soon as he said it, your hand dropped from your hair and, looking down at your bare feet, you realized he was right about your toes.  

“That proves nothing. I could’ve been thinking about anything.”

“You only get that far away look in your eyes and bite the inside of your cheek when you’re worried, not just thinking.”

“Well aren't you just an observant little fucker,” you said, jokingly, but also with complete astonishment.  You had stopped all the nervous ticks he’d mentioned and you both chuckled when he looked at your fingers that were drumming against the table.  He placed his hand over it. Nervous energy apparently alway stayed in motion.

“Part of my job is observing people, learning little details and tics to help build characters.  I find the toe thing adorable, by the way.”

You bit your lip in embarrassment, turning away with a smile. 

“There you go again, that’s another one.”

There was no winning, no hiding, he knew you way too well.  You’d have to be more careful of your reactions and habits going forward.  

Running his hands through his hair, he rolled his eyes and said, with a deep sigh, “It’s my mom again, isn’t it?  You aren’t going to relax until you meet her and see for yourself that there is  _ nothing to worry about. _

The way he said the last words with both his expression and his hands made you chuckle, but didn’t do shit about dispelling your nerves.  You did calm down at his touch, though, when he took both of your hands into his and moved his face into your line of sight, forcing you to look at him.

“She’s going to love you.  They all are.  I wouldn’t be bringing you home with me if I thought any different.”  With that, he kissed your knuckles, causing you to break out into a huge grin. Then he released your hands and started cleaning up.  As he was leaving the porch, you saw him give your coffee mug a swirl before quipping over his shoulder, “Wanna know something else I’ve noticed about you?  You never finish a cup of coffee, there’s always just a leeettle bit left on the bottom.”  

He was completely right. You muttered, “Fucking, Sherlock,” under your breath and heard Chris call out, “I heard that!”  

Dodger got up and followed Chris back into the house and you picked up the rear.  He took the mugs into the kitchen, and upon his return found you walking around the living room, doing a little snooping like he had done at your apartment.

Your eyes were taking in details you hadn’t seen last night.  With the warm sunlight streaming in through the bay window, all the little aspects of the room were now visible, like the framed photographs and handmade gifts from the children.  The wall containing the fireplace and tv had built in bookcases which were filled with books on one, and a collection of DVD’s on the other.   In front of the books and movies were a variety of little knickknacks and mementos. The only thing that seemed to stick out was a vase that was rather ugly and definitely not his style, so you asked about it.

“That would be a gag gift from my sister Shanna.  She found it at a yard sale and gave it to me as a joke.  It’s so ugly, and yet, I couldn’t throw it out,” he said with a laugh.  “I don’t know what it is about it, maybe because it looks like it’s painted in melted crayons or something, but I just couldn’t part with it after.  So to the shelf it moved.”

You stepped out of his arms and walked over to the books, where you ran your finger over an object being used as a bookend.  “Aww, oh my god, was this yours?”  

“Yep,” he said, popping the 'p.'  "Can you believe my foot was ever that small?” he wondered aloud, pulling it off the shelf for you.  It was a tiny baby shoe, cast in bronze.  “My mom gave each of us one shoe, a few years back, and kept the other.  She has them on a bookcase in her living room.  They look like two pairs of shoes, but it’s actually one from each of us.”

“Aww, that’s so precious! What a great idea.  My mom had ours bronzed, too, but she never gave any of them to us. She has them in her bedroom on a shelf with our baby photos.”  You tilted your head and wondered aloud, “Do people even do this anymore?  I mean, everyone seemed to have this done in the seventies and eighties, but I don’t remember the last time I saw someone with it.”

You set it back down in its spot and ran your finger very lightly over it.  A thought flashed through your mind about whether or not you would do this for your own children some day.  If you had kids with Chris would they look more like you or like him?  You had to quickly reign in those thoughts and cast them out as it was a total fantasy that you just couldn’t indulge in just now.  Instead, you focused your attention to a small framed photo on the shelf above it of Chris holding his baby brother.  Well that certainly didn’t help matters.  He'd been adorable as hell, even as a child.

“I know Carly didn’t do it with her kids.  Then again, when’s the last time you saw a baby with shoes like these?  They all get the cute little ones now with lights and characters. It’s probably too old school now.”

You turned and rested your arms on the back of the oversized, worn leather recliner.  The matching brown leather couch also had a broken in look to it.  There was a small worn out part in one of the seats, it was partially covered by a pillow.  A Patriots blanket was folded and resting along the bag of the recliner.  There was a dark brown, patterned area rug under the coffee table that ended just before the seats. There was evidence that Dodger had used the edge of the sofa and some of the coffee table legs as chew toys as a puppy.

“This place is so cozy, is your home in LA like this, too?” 

Chris put his arms around you, from behind, cradling your body and slightly rocking both of you.  After a kiss to the side of your face, he said, “The other one is beautiful and the view is amazing, but I think of that as just a house.  This is my home.  Boston is my home.  I’d stay here exclusively if given the chance.”

He pointed out some other things you saw around the room and that was when you realized that what you had assumed was some sort of console table behind the sofa was actually a thin piano.  The top of the it was holding picture frames and small knickknacks and the keys were covered.  It had blended in so perfectly that you hadn’t even noticed it before now.  “Is that the piano you serenaded me with when I went to Pennsylvania?”

“The one and only.  Would you like me to play a little something for you?” he asked.

“I’d love that!” you exclaimed and happily followed him to it, taking a seat beside him on the piano bench. You faced away from the keys  so that you could snuggle Dodger, who had followed the two of you, and was looking for some love. He brought his front paws up and onto your thighs, resting his head against your bosom. 

“Hey buddy, don’t get any ideas. Those are my fluffy pillows.”

You dropped your head back and rolled your eyes. “Fluffy pillows?  Seriously, Chris?”  

He smiled playfully at you and said, “Sssshhh, see if you know this one.”

You knew the song the second it started.  After a few bars of just piano, he began to sing, “ _ But oh how it feels to real. Lying here with no one near. Only you, and you can hear me.  When I say softly, slowly _ .” 

You joined him for the chorus, taking Dodger’s paws and asking him to stand so he could dance with you.  “ _ Hold me closer, Tiny Dancer.  Count the headlights on the highway.  Lay me down in sheets of linen.  You had a busy day, today _ .”  He continued playing the piano part once more.  

Letting Dodger drop to the ground, you slid over so that you could lean your head upon Chris’s shoulder.  Once he finished playing, you placed your hand onto Chris’s cheek, pulling him towards for your first real kiss of the day.  It would certainly not be the last, you knew.  One of his hands went into your hair, cradling your head, but the other hand began exploring you all over, running under your tank top to cup you bare breasts. Instantly you felt your body responding, a feeling like fire spreading through your veins. “I love the way it feels when you touch me,” you murmured softly in between kisses.

Your words spurred him on and he kissed you deeper, while his touch became stronger, fingers kneading your soft flesh and pulling your further into him. 

“Do you want to move this to the sofa?” he coaxed, as if you needed any coaxing.  You were dying to have more of this.  You simply nodded your head, you nose rubbing against his because you were still so close to him.  He spun off the end of the bench and quickly took your hand and led the way to the sofa on the other side of the piano.  

Chris sat down and pulled you down to sit on top of him. The second you were situated, his mouth was upon yours and you lost track of time as he feasted upon your mouth, your breasts, your neck, anything that was within reach.  It went no further than that though;, sometimes that kind of foreplay was more than enough and you were so hungry for his touch and his kisses that it more than fulfilled your needs-at least for now. 

As the kissing slowed, he confessed, “I’d take you to bed right now, but we don’t have much time before we have to leave.  Besides, I’ve got plans for later and I want you good and needy.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Fahck no, that’s a promise, sweetheart.”

A smile filled with anticipation on your face and you licked your lips slowly while watching him. You liked the sound of that promise.  Climbing off and pull Chris from the couch, you saw that he was sporting a boner, no doubt a result of all the grinding you were doing against him.  The feel of it beneath you had almost been enough to melt your panties and you didn’t mind that one bit either. 

“C’mon, let me show you one other room before we start to get ready,” he said with a cock of his head towards the the door which led to the basement while he pushed down his erection, clearly okay with not going further for now.   

You followed him down the steps to a large, full sized, finished basement.  The walls were painted a soft blue and it had a simple, light colored, wood floor.  While upstairs things were tidy and fairly clutter free, it was memorabilia heaven down here.  The walls were covered with pennants, all sorts of signs shouting “Patriots fan” or “Red Sox fan” and framed views of the stadiums.  

Walking around the room, you spotted some framed autographed jerseys from each team and an area that you immediately referred to as the shrine to Brady because, well it kinda was!  In addition to the life size Brady FatHead on the wall, he had an autographed helmet and football.  Multiple other “Brady” objects were in this area as well.  There were wall units that held collections of bobble heads, mini baseball bats, and autographed baseballs. Upon further inspection, you saw that one of the units held Disney collectibles. The dork even had a basket containing a collection of team foam fingers.  There was also a really cool Red Sox cork board that had pins on it holding ticket stubs to what must be every game he’d ever been to.  It was his man cave and something you'd never expected to see. It endeared him to you even more.

“I knew you had to keep some clutter somewhere!”

“It’s not clutter, it’s years of people not knowing what to buy me so they get me something from the teams I love.”

“Well, I think it’s wonderful and I’m so happy you showed this to me.”

Letting your eyes roam around, you noticed there was a soft blue denim sectional sofa facing a large flat screen tv.  He had a game console attached and you spotted the guitar and drums for “Rock Band” along the wall. Beside the television was a cabinet with a variety of video games and board games.  Warmth spread through you when you saw that some of the games were for the kids; Chutes and Ladder, CandyLand, Hi-Ho Cherry O.  You spotted exercise equipment in the far corner.  Another wall had storage shelving with bins and supplies for the house.  Definitely not fancy, just more of the cozy, laid back warmth that surrounded you in this home.  Because that’s what this truly was, his home.  

It was getting late and if there was going to be time for a tour of the neighborhood, you had to get a move on.  You followed him back up the stairs and into his bedroom.  Chris advised that he was going dressed casually, the shirt was appropriately red for the holiday.  You, on the other hand, were in a dilemma.  

“So, it’s been my habit since I started dating to always meet the parents while wearing a dress.  However, I didn’t know what we’d be up to today, so I also packed a shirt and shorts, just in case.  What do I do?”  you fretted.  It seemed stupid, you knew the comfortable option, but old habits die hard.  

“Let me see what the dress looks like.”

You pulled out the sundress and held it up in front of you.  It was navy blue with white polka dots, just about knee length.  It pulled in tight right below the bust before flaring out.  The dress had wide straps and the sweetheart neckline dipped down a bit in the center of your cleavage, with buttons running down to just below the bust.  Setting the dress aside, you showed him the alternate outfit; a pair of light colored denim shorts with frayed edges paired with a white top.  The top had a faded American flag printed on it and had the tops of the shoulders cut out.  You had white flip flops embellished with a daisy between the toes that could be used for either option.  

You saw a spark in his eyes that you couldn’t quite figure out as he said, “Wear the dress there, but bring the other outfit with you.  We’ll probably be playing some games and stuff and if you want to join in you may not be totally comfortable in the dress.  But definitely, wear that dress for a while.”

The look he was giving you made you practically giggle with glee.  “You got it, Captain.  I’m just going to go fix myself up.  I’ll be ready in 15.”

“I’m going to change into cargo shorts since they’ll do a much better job at hiding the wood I’ll be sporting all day,” he said, pulling at his basketball shorts and giving you a quick kiss before you entered the bathroom. 

Since you'd gone to bed with your hair still on the damp side last night, it was a friggin’ bird’s nest this morning when you pulled it out of the hair tie.  Thankfully, you’d had the forethought to pack your flat iron.  

You let the iron warm up and worked on putting on just a touch of a neutral eyeshadow and a little concealer, along with a bit of long wear lip gloss in a natural shade.  You applied sunscreen to your arms, shoulders and chest. With the iron now hot, you set about fixing your wild hair and then added a bit of product to keep it shiny and in place.  After your dress was on, you added a simple pair of silver earrings and the bangles Chris had given you in Boston.  

Stepping out into the bedroom, you found Chris and Dodger laying in bed, the former giving the latter belly rubs.  You received a catcall as Chris stood up, an admiring look in his eyes. 

Making his way towards you, as you were stepping into your flip-flops, you heard him cry out, “Daaam, how the hell am I supposed to keep my hands off of you when you look this sexy?”

“Sexy?” you asked, pretending to be nervous.  “Maybe I should go change because I wasn’t shooting for that.  I want to look like the sweet girl next door that is worthy of Lisa’s son’s affections.”

Finally reaching you, he placed his hands upon your hips and dipped his head down, finding your lips for quick kisses and saying, in between, “Oh, there’s no doubt, you are.  But you are also fahking hot!”  He gave you a longer, slower and much deeper kiss after that to show you just how turned on you had him.  

Unfortunately, the kiss could go no where right now except to to blue ball city, for both of you.  When it was over, partly due to Dodger sticking his nose in between you both to break things up, you folded and packed your change of clothes and your wallet into a small backpack you brought, filled with some bubble wands for the kids, and followed Chris out to the kitchen to grab the flowers.  

“I’ll drive if you want. This way you don’t have to worry about how many beers you have.”

“You’re the best, babe!”

“Yeah well, I can’t get too drunk.  I’ve got to drive home tomorrow, after all.”  

Dodger hopped right into your SUV the moment you opened the back door for him.  Chris placed your bag and the flowers into the trunk to protect them from the precious pooch.  He came around to the passenger side, pointed a finger into the backseat and warned the dog, “Behave,” then gave you a quick peck on the lips.

“Where to first?” you asked, eager to see the hometown he loved so much.

For the next 30 minutes or so, Chris gave you a tour of Sudbury and you learned both the history of the town and his own.  Those histories were equally fascinating to you and you loved how animated he became telling you stories about things that happened to him and his siblings growing up here.  You saw his schools, where he’d hang out with friends, playgrounds and parks they'd gone to as children.  There was an area with a steep slope behind one of the schools and Chris shared several memories of the adventures his family had had sledding down that hill on snow days.  As you got closer to your destination, he commented on the homes of friends you were passing, sharing with you the mischief making that had happened inside of them. 

Throughout the drive, Dodger alternated between hanging his head out the window, mouth open and enjoying the breeze from what you caught in your sideview mirror, laying down along the backseat, and sticking his head in between the two of you.  When he did the last move, he would often give each of you a few licks on the sides of your faces, getting your shoulder wet a few times too.  Chris was always quick to wipe it off and apologize, but you just smiled and curled your arm up and around the fluffy licker, giving him a hug and a sideways smooch.  

Arriving at his mom's house, you pulled into the driveway and took your first look at where he'd grown up.  It was another simple, yet lovely, home.  This one a two story colonial, white with black shutters along each window and a black front door.

You didn’t notice you were staring and holding your breath, until you felt Chris’s hand covering yours on the console and heard him say, “it’s going to be fine babe, relax.”

You quickly blew out a combination of a breath and a laugh, giving him a quick smile while petting Dodger, who had come to rest his head near you again.  Stroking his fur soothed your nerves.  You gave him a couple of quick taps and said, “C’mon, boy,” then exited the car.  He hopped out of the backseat as soon as you opened the door and pounced on you, eagerly trying to get your face with his tongue again.  You glanced towards the trunk and saw Chris peeking over, his sunglasses now hooked into the collar of his t-shirt. You could tell he was about to chastise the dog, but just shook his head with a smile, instead, when he saw you were happy with the attention, holding Dodger’s paws while he stood on his hind legs.

“I love you, too, fluffball,” you said, accepting more licks and giving Dodger a kiss of your own.

Chris closed the trunk and came around your side, holding out the flowers for you to take while he carried your bag.  “Well, you two seem to be getting along splendidly,” he remarked, the look of a proud dad on his face.

Pushing your sunglasses upon onto your head, because they always made the perfect headband, you conceded, “How could we not? Have you seen how ridiculously adorable he is?”  As if knowing he was the topic of conversation, the dog looked your way and let out a perfectly timed “woof,” bringing out a tension relieving giggle from you.  “His markings are so perfect.  I swear it looks like he’s wearing a pair of socks on his front paws.  And that fluff on his tail.   And that FACE!” you carried on. 

Chris was laughing as he said, “You know, I’m starting to think you like my dog more than you like me.  Maybe you only agreed to go out with me as a way of getting him.”

Reaching the side door to the house, you quipped back, “I plead the Fifth, although I like the way you lick me much better.”  You were so busy laughing that you completely forgot about your nerves as you followed Chris inside. 

There wasn’t even time for Chris, or you, to say hello before his mom, sisters and brother reacted to seeing you.  They were all talking at the same time, all speaking loudly, and it was impossible to keep up with what was being said.  You heard bits and pieces of what was being thrown around by his siblings, your ears picking things up like “Finally!”, “She’s adorable!”, “She does exist!”, Taller than I thought!”, “She looks so nervous!”, “Look at how happy he is,” but your focus was on the woman walking towards you with a warm smile upon her face.  

"There she is,” she said as she kissed Chris on the cheek, never quite taking her eyes off of you.

You awkwardly thrusted the bouquet out with your left hand and extended your right hand to her for a shake.  Stammering a little and, after darting a quick glance at Chris, you smiled and looked her in the eyes while introducing yourself, “Hi, um, I’m Nicole Frasier.” 

She slowly nodded and her smile broadened as she said, “Oh, honey, I know exactly who you are. I’m Lisa and I’m so happy to finally meet you.”  Instead of shaking your hand, she wrapped you in a hug.

Chris had put the backpack down and now plucked the flowers from you so you could hug her back, all of the tension you'd felt immediately dissipating. This time, when you checked in with Chris, he scrunched his face and nodded while mouthing, “You got this.”

Lisa released you from the hug, but held your hands in hers, looking you over and taking you all in before letting you completely so she could greet her furry grandson.  Dodger had been running around to everyone getting scratches and giving licks and had made his way back to your side when “Grandma” hugged you.  

Chris handed his mom the flowers, telling her they were from you, before taking your hand and walking you to the other side of the island where his siblings waited.  Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Lisa pulling a vase out from under the sink and getting the flowers into it as Chris made the introductions. You were delighted to hear her humming softly.

“Now the rest of these fine folks are my brother, Scott, my big sister, Carly, and my baby sister, Shanna.”  It was obvious this was a family of huggers, just like Chris, when you found yourself getting bear hugged by each as you made your way around, greeting them individually.  

You smiled shyly and said, “It is so nice to finally meet you guys, Chris talks about you all the time.  I feel like I know you all already.”

With a squeeze to your hand, Shanna smiled and nodded saying, “Same here.”  She pointedly looked at her brother adding, “Gotta say, it’s nice to hear about someone other than Dodger.”  As if summoned, the dog came over and jumped on her, planting his paws on her chest and trying to get a few licks onto her face.

“Cheating on me already, Dodgy?” you lamented with a shake of your head. He looked your way at hearing his name and the joke got a laugh from Shanna, causing the hands she was using to block him go down which allowed the dog to finally reach her lips.  She was not happy about it. 

Scott put his arm around your shoulders and side eyed you.  “So, tell me everything.  Where are you from? Whattaya do? What on earth do you see in my dipshit brother?”

From your conversations with Chris, you knew that they all knew your details.  Deciding to bust his chops a bit, you shrugged your shoulders and said, “Gosh, there’s really isn’t much to tell.  I mean, I’m just a small town girl.  Who was living in a real lonely world. Until I took the midnight -” 

That was as far as you got.  As soon as you said the second line, they were all onto you and had started laughing, you couldn’t hold it together anymore and you broke down, too, laughing along with them.  

“You and I are going to get along juuuust fine,” Scott said, patting you on the back.

You looked at Chris, feigning concern, and questioned, “Why did that feel like a threat?”

“Because now he knows you’re a willing victim and he can be himself around you.  It’s most definitely a threat.”  Chris’s expression was serious, brow arching, but his eyes were full of amusement and the corner of his lip was upturned in a smile.   Scott let out a devilish Disney villain like laugh, complete with thrumming, steepled fingers.

Pretending to be worried, you sighed and said, “Ah, shit,” before exchanging playful glances with Scott. He wasn’t wrong in his assessment, the two of you were going to get along for sure.

“Not in the house, it attracts flies,” Scott playfully chastised. You had set yourself up for that and groaned at the old joke as you dropped your head back, mouthing “Why?”

Beside him, you overheard his sisters whispering, “I love her!” You didn’t know their voices well enough to determine which one had said it and Carly was facing away from you.  When she turned back she was smiling and gave you an a wink while Shanna beamed a smile at Chris.  

You felt Chris’s arm come around your waist as he explained to them, “You should see Nic and her family rockin’ out to that song in the car.  I caught them doing it the day we met, it was hilarious.  Full tilt carpool karaoke, just going for it.”  

You were never going to live that down.  You were also never going to stop doing it.  After all, it was your family's sing-along-song.

Lisa returned to the kitchen island everyone was standing around, putting the vase filled with flowers in the center, and you loved the look she was giving you and Chris at that moment.  So much so that you stopped being nervous about making a good impression and allowed yourself to relax.  Within minutes, you felt comfortable around them all and, damn, was it a big relief. 

“Where’s everyone else?” Chris asked, giving Dodger a scratch on the head to calm him down. All the laughter had riled him up a bit.

“The kids are outside with their dad and they are  _ thrilled  _ with your surprise, Chris,” Carly informed him excitedly.  

“Cool! I’m gonna take Nicole outside to meet them.  Need me to take anything out, Ma?” 

Lisa gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and advised it was all taken care of.  Following Chris and Dodger out of the kitchen, you could’ve sworn you heard your name one more time as his family remained behind, huddled together. 

To get to the yard, you had to walk through the living room and the screened-in porch, one you recognized from seeing his ice bucket challenge video from a few years back.  It had a large patio table surrounded by lots of chairs. All the windows were open and there were two ceiling fans running, making the room cool and a welcome respite from the hot, burning sun outside.  Chris opened the door that lead to the yard, letting Dodger go out first.  You watched as he ran over to the kids, who were near a gigantic bounce house, barking his welcome to them.  When his niece and nephews spotted him they looked towards the porch and shouted to their uncle before running over.  

“Uncle Chris, thank you so much for the bouncy!” you heard Stella practically screech as she reached him, hugging him by the legs.  

Chris expertly swooped her up into his arms for a proper hug before introducing you to his adorable niece, Stella. When he put her down, a little boy walked up, who you recognized as Miles from the “I don’t wike it” videos.  Miles threw his arms up and out while giving a huge smile to his Uncle, no words were needed to show what he wanted.  Chris picked up under the armpits, spinning him in circles as if he weighed nothing at all. You couldn’t help but get a little weak in the knees when you saw those biceps bulging. 

Once he set the boy down, Chris introduced you to human helicopter, Miles, and then to his nephew, Ethan, and his brother in law, Ryan, as they approached.  

A crazy thought crossed your mind; how funny was it that Chris could potentially end up with two brother-in-laws named Ryan? Immediately, you gave yourself a mental smack as it was way too early to think about things like that. 

After meeting everyone, Chris took your hand and walked you back inside of the porch where the rest of the family had gathered.  He pulled out a chair at the patio table for you then gave you a quick peck on the lips and asked, “beer?” After you nodded, he went to the coolers to grab a couple.

Yes, alcohol would certainly help right now, you thought to yourself, looking around the table.  It was obvious from the expressions on the faces around you that they were all dying to start asking questions, but were holding back, perhaps waiting for Lisa to sit.  She was taking the wrappings off a couple of large heroes that were on the table.  Chris returned with a couple of bottles of Stella Artois and opened one before handing it to you and taking the seat beside you.  He also took your hand and gave it a quick squeeze, reading you like a book.  Feeling a little anxious, you looked around, turning to look behind you when you heard Dodger bark as he got into a game of frisbee with the kids.  

“I hope everyone’s hungry, we have italian and american heroes, potato salad and pasta salad for lunch,” Lisa announced, as she balled up the cellophane and walked it to the nearby garbage can.  Ryan came in from the yard and took a chair; the kids were busy playing and he said he wanted to eat while they were occupied.

You helped yourself to a piece from each hero, Chris scooping out some of the salads onto your dish.  Your face blushed and you let out a quiet chuckle when, after a few bites, he leaned in and whispered, “your salads are better.” 

For most of the meal, the conversation was light and breezy.  Everyone was asking you questions about your family and where you lived, and you had many questions of your own as you tried to get to know them.  The light feeling changed a bit as you were finishing your hero. 

Apparently, being married to a dentist meant Lisa had absorbed the uncanny ability to ask questions when your mouth was full.  “So Chris tells us you’re a paralegal?”

Before you could elaborate, Shanna piped in with a question of her own.  “Do you deal with a lot of criminals or do you work with really messy, horrible divorces?”  The look on her face told you she'd watched one too many tv shows involving the legal world.  

“I am,” you said, after swallowing. Looking towards his sister now, you added,, “and I’m sorry to disappoint, but I don’t do work in those particular fields. Nothing as exciting as you’d imagine”  She made a funny, resigned face, and you felt yourself smiling at her.  She was very full of life and you instantly liked her.

“So what kind of law firm  _ do  _ you work for?” asked Carly, who was leaning forward, paying all her attention to you as she picked at her sandwich meats.

“I’m a research paralegal in a firm that handles trademarks and copyrighting,”  you explained, giving them some background on the types of cases and affairs you assist with.  They all had questions, which came quickly and from all around the table,  and you proceeded to answer them while finishing your lunch.  

Throughout the conversations, right from the start, you'd regularly felt a hand on your shoulder or arm from Chris.  He was an angel, constantly making sure you were feeling comfortable and at ease.  Surprisingly enough, you truly did.  They were asking in a way that showed they were interested in you and, from what you gathered, they were happy with what they were hearing.  

Still, you weren’t quite prepared for Lisa when she asked, “Have you ever thought of pursuing a law degree yourself?  Becoming a lawyer?”

Immediately, your brain started debating if she was asking just because she was curious or because she thought you lacked ambition or didn’t approve.  You did you best to keep your face neutral and decided to just answer her honestly.  Chris had never asked about this himself and you saw him leaning towards you a bit, ready to listen as well. 

“I did consider it, actually.  When I went to college that was exactly what I intended on doing, but then I started having a lot of apprehension about it and I did a little soul searching.  I realized that what I loved was doing the research, doing the digging and helping others.  I also realized that I hate arguing, I’m just not quick on my feet when it comes to anything other than wit and sarcasm and I really, really don’t like speaking in public.  Those are kinda all necessities if you’re going to be a good lawyer.”  You description of the last part earned some laughter and an approving nod from Lisa. Continuing, you concluded, “So, I changed course and decided to go with what I loved.  Hell of a lot cheaper than paying for law school, too, so I’m glad I figured this out before it got that far.”  There was a lot more conversation as they began asking details and you happily answered them all. 

Lisa was sitting at the end of the table, on the other side of Chris, and you felt a rush of relief as he entwined his fingers with yours.  His mother gave you a warm and satisfied smile before saying, “You’re a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders.  Your parents must be very proud of you.”

It was all you could do to keep the tears that sprang to your eyes from coming out.  You swallowed hard and blinked your eyes a few times quickly, before thanking her for the compliment.  You felt a punch in your arm from the other side and turned to see Scott giving you a wink, his sisters on the other side of the table and Ryan all smiling at each other and at you and Chris.  Well, this certainly felt like approval all around. 

The conversation went smoothly after that; they learned about your family and you about theirs.  His mom let it slip that Chris spoke quite highly of your family and that he hadn't been able to stop gushing over Alex and Maddie.  Those kids meant the world to you and knowing that Chris felt so strongly about them just made you adore him more.  Carly’s kids, in the meantime, made their way inside and got some hero as well and you got to talk to them a little as they ate.  They were very animated story tellers and you could see already that they would likely be a part of the theater world like Chris and his siblings.  

You had just swallowed some beer when you heard Miles state, “I don’t wike it,” and you had to swallow hard to avoid spitting it out.  It caused you to cough as you nearly choked and you had to assure Chris you were fine as he whacked you on the back, trying to help you through it.  You were ready to die of embarrassment, but seeing the worried look in Chris’s eyes as he watched you was enough to stop it.  So was the small kiss he gave you after to reassure himself you were good.  

The attention moved off of you and onto Stella, a moment later, when Ethan ratted her out for feeding Dodger under the table.  Chris took it in stride, but also turned it into a teachable moment where he explained to her how some foods could make the dog very sick and that she needed to be careful.  You were mesmerized watching the interaction and how he spoke  _ with _ her, not  _ to _ her.  She had probably expected to get into trouble, but his tone and the way he handled things made it so that instead of her feeling guilty and sad, Stella would learn something from it and not have fear and tears.  Not just for the first time,  you thought “He’s going to make a fantastic father one day.”

You were still looking at him, so completely absorbed in your thoughts that it didn’t register that he was now looking back at you. “What?” he asked, a smile breaking over his face as he asked, although you had a feeling he knew exactly what you thinking.  You played it off, closing your eyes for a second and shaking your head slowly.  Your mouth was in a closed lipped smile and when you opened your eyes and saw his expression, it turned into a broad smile, full of emotions.  You decided to not answer with words, instead leaning forward and cupping his chin in your hand before giving him a kiss on the lips.  The look between you both lingered, as you kept your faces close to each other for a few seconds after and just gazed into each other’s eyes, communicating so many things silently.  

Scott cleared his throat and softly sing-songed, “Get a rooooom,” changing the vibe from romantic to lighthearted again.  You sat back into your chair, elbowing him and giving a wink after he scrunched his nose and stuck his tongue out at you.  

Stella asked to go back into the bounce house and wanted Carly and Ryan out there with her.  They left and Miles and Ethan both finished their lunches and then got their tablets, returning to the table to play on them for a bit under the cool breeze of the fan. 

Chris stood up and began cleaning up the table and you followed suit, despite the protests that you were the guest and should sit down.  It wasn’t in your nature to be idle.  Chris asked if you’d grab the pasta salad and follow him into the kitchen so they could be put away.  Mayo and heat were never a good combo.  You thought nothing of it and happily tagged along after him while the rest of the family stayed behind.  

The second the salads were in the fridge and the door was closed, you found yourself wrapped in Chris’s arms, his mouth hungrily attacking yours.  When he slowed and started to just plant small, quick kisses upon your lips, you giggled and asked, “What was that for?”

He looked at you with an expression of contentment and love before stating, “For being grace under fire.  My family just grilled the fahck outta you out there and you didn’t try to fake your way through it, didn’t pretend to be someone you’re not.  You showed them the real you.” He gave you a tight hug and then said, next to your ear, “and now they know why I’m so crazy about you.”  You hugged him back fiercely, emotions bubbling.  He moved back to kiss you again and you were just getting back into it when Lisa and Shanna walked in, carrying heroes to put away.  Lisa cleared her throat loudly and you quickly released each other, your hand going up to your mouth and giving it a quick wipe as your heart started to race.  

“I was wondering what was taking so long,” his mom teased, comically raising a brow at Chris.  Shanna caught your eye and you exchanged silent laughter with each other, watching Chris squirm for a moment.  

“She was choking again and I had to give her mouth to mouth.  I was saving her life.”

“Mmhmm.  That’s exactly what it looked like,”  Lisa replied, pursing her lips.

“Guess we’re lucky it was CPR and not the Heimlich. Assuming that’s how you’d explain us finding you in some other compromising position,” Shanna teased as she wrapped the hero in foil.   

Chris barked out a laugh and you joined him, tickled at the playfulness between the siblings.    

You asked where the bathroom was and excused yourself for a few minutes then went back onto the porch to join them after hearing their voices back outside.

Upon seeing you, Scott muttered, “Heard you were choking on something, but I never found out what it was.”  You looked at him briefly, trying to suppress your smile.  He leaned in close and whispered, just loud enough to be heard, “You really need to be more careful about how you swallow things.”

Instantly, you were doubled over in hysterics, completely caught off guard, and completely in love with this man.  Scott was one hundred percent correct earlier,  you guys were going to get along just fine.  

Chris, along with the rest of the table, was laughing at your sudden reaction, but completely bewildered by it because they hadn’t heard Scott.  From the looks darting between you and Scott, it was obvious that they quickly realized the culprit.  You waved them off, telling Chris you’d fill him in later and could’ve killed Scott for pulling off the innocent face he had on.  His face may have given away nothing, but his eyes were crinkled in the corners and full of mischief.

Barely able to hide your own amusement, you glared at him and mouthed, “Bite me!” causing Scott’s facade to crack.  

Chris took your hand and, motioning with his head, asked you to walk outside after that, wanting a little time alone. It was a comfortable silence and you loved that you could have these types of moments with him.  Under the shade of a large tree, you both watched his niece and her parents jumping around in the bouncy house and you chuckled at the thought that he'd rented it as much for the adults as for the kids.  

“That thing is huge!  It’s like the ones they have at the party places,” you commented, waving your hand towards it. 

He smiled and looked down, conceding, “I know, but when I checked the website and saw they had this I had to book it.  I mean, how often do the big kids get to play too, right?”

An idea came to you then and you side eyed him before accusing, “You know, I’m suddenly wondering if you wanted me to bring shorts because of this house or if you insisted on me wearing the dress because of it.”

He laughed, clutching his stomach and bending forward from it slightly, before looking at you with a twinkle in his eye.  “As much as I love the image of you bouncing in your dress in there, no one gets a free show but me.”

You pretended to be offended, placing a hand to your chest as you shot him an incredulous look.  “Who said anything about free?”  I get paid good money for that shit.” you deadpanned, waving your hand up and down your body.

Playing along, Chris crossed his arms against his chest and raised a brow before asking,“Oh really?  You got a second career you’re not telling me about?”

With a shrug and a sudden interest in your manicure you quipped, “I may do a little moonlighting from time to time.”

“Interesting,” he responded, dragging out the word.  He bumped into your shoulder and said conspiratorily, “You gotta let me know next time you’re working.  Maybe I can catch a show.”

“I don’t know, It’s a pretty exclusive club,” you bragged.

“I know a guy.  What’s the place called?”

“The Golden Honeypot,” you stated matter-of-factly.

“The Golden Honeypot?”

“Yep.”

“Sounds fancy.”

“It is, very classy, too.”  Lowering your voice to share a secret you added, “Not everyone is granted entry, but I hear if you’re from Boston you can get in and even get a discount.”

Chris kept his voice low too.  “Really?  That’s fantastic cause I happen to be from Boston.”

In mock surprise you replied, “You don’t say?” 

Throwing his hands in the air in surrender he informed, “Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true. What’s the going rate for a Boston boy?”

“Two oxen and a goat,” you replied without missing a beat.

“Two ox- WHAT?” Chris broke into laughter as you rolled your eyes and face palmed yourself as he asked, “What the fahck does ‘two oxen and a goat’ mean?”

Shaking your head, you laughed along with him and lamented, “I have abso-fuckin-lutely no idea what I’m talking about anymore. Pay no attention to the idiot behind the curtain.”

Chris pulled you into his arms, kissing you in between his laughs and teasing you about being a bigger dork than even he was.  The kissing went from fun and casual to a bit more intense and before you knew it you were full on French kissing under the shadow of the tree.  The side of the bouncer shielded you from view of the people inside and you were just off the side of the porch, not that you were really worrying about an audience at a time like this. All you truly could focus on was the way his tongue was moving against yours and the throbbing it was causing in your panties.

He slowed the kiss down and in a low, deep voice said, “The bouncy house is actually one of the reasons I suggested shorts.  Although the thought of you bouncing in there with your skirt flying up in the air is totally giving me a semi right now.” 

You snickered and swatted his chest, chastising, “You are such a bad boy!”

Chris pulled you in tighter.  He gave a little naughty smirk and raised his brow before stating,  “I’m a good boy.”  

Pursing your lips, you replied, “Uh huh.  A regular altar boy, you are.”

“I am, ask anyone. I’m a fahking angel.” He gave you another kiss then lowered his face and said, by your ear, “I do have a reason for wanting you in that dress, though.”

His hot breath against your ear and the hundreds of dirty images that sentence evoked, caused fire to spread throughout your body.  “What exactly do you have in mind?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.  Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”  He pulled himself away from your ear and straightened, looking you directly in the eyes with such intensity you were ready to jump his bones right there in the yard.  Instead, you tilted your neck and captured his lips for another kiss.

Afterwards, Chris took your hand and walked you back inside of the porch.  Almost immediately, the singing began. “Chris and Nikki, sitting in a tree.”  The voices belonged to Miles and Ethan who were perched on their knees and facing backwards on their lounge chairs, their hands over the backs of them.  Scott was standing behind them with a look of pure wicked evil on his face. 

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” they continued.  Seeing that they had the attention of you and their uncle, the boys got excited.  They were adding in hand gestures which were completely innocent, the same ones you had always done on the playground while singing this as a girl.  Behind them, however, their uncle was being the total opposite of innocence as he sang with them. 

“First comes love,” the boys sang, drawing a heart in the air, while Scott formed a V with his fingers and flicked his tongue between them.  You bit your lip, stifling a laugh.

“Then comes marriage,” the kids continued, sweetly sliding rings upon their fingers.  Scott had formed a circle with his thumb and middle finger and was poking a finger from his other hand through it. 

“Then comes the baby in the baby carriage,” they all sang.  Seeing your faces, the boys pretended to push the carriage, but also looked over their shoulders at their Uncle Scott. Instantly he changed his motions to ever so sweetly pushing an imaginary carriage along with them.  Apparently believing that the smiles and laughter were because of them, they hammed up the rest of the song, but still continued doing so very innocently.  Their uncle, not so much. 

“Sucking its thumb.” Featured Scott gesturing his thumb towards his mouth and poking his tongue into his cheek, mimicking a blowjob.

"Wetting its pants.”  You almost lost it when Scott jerked his hand twice as if whacking off and then motioned like an explosion happened.

"Doing the hula-hula dance.”  Scott was now holding onto imaginary hips, swiveling his own before thrusting them forward and smacking a pretend ass while he said, “dance.” 

That was it, you and Chris were both doubled over in hysterics now.  You were the first to stand back up, motioning with your arm out towards young boys and assuring them, “Oh my god, you boys are the greatest.  You got us, that was awesome!”  They high-fived each other, content with the reaction.

Pointing at Scott, you continued, “You, on the other hand, I can’t even think of the word that adequately describes you right now. Or rather, I can but it’s not suitable for young ears.”

Getting control of himself, Chris squeezed you by the shoulders and placed a quick kiss upon your cheek before whispering, “I think he likes you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration while writing this chapter was Genesis "Hold on my heart"   
> other song mentioned is Tiny Dancer by Elton John


	33. In Your Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole gets to know Chris's family and has an encounter she's only ever dreamed about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Alcohol, language, penetrative protected sex

Throughout Scott’s shenanigans, Shanna had been sitting at the table, hand over her mouth, trying her best to hold back her laughter.  She could no longer suppress her amusement, and her boisterous laughter filled the air of the porch.  It erupted in waves so hard that she had to rest her arm on the table and lay her head upon it while her other hand was slapping at the tabletop.  When she looked up, tears were streaming down her face.  

Her laughter was so completely infectious, that both you and Chris found yourselves staggering to the table and dropping into chairs, joining in her merriment.  The boys and Scott were also unable to escape its power.  

Just after you sat down, Lisa emerged from the house, followed by an elderly couple.  Her smile was large and immediate as she took in the maddening crowd.  

“Dare I ask what the ruckus in here is all about?” she asked, eyeing the six of you suspiciously.  Without hesitation, five of you pointed at Scott, who threw his hands up in the air, feigning innocence. 

Raising her hand, Lisa dramatically closed her eyes and remarked, “Say no more,” spurring on another round of laughter as Scott stomped his foot and defended himself, a hand to his chest while exclaiming, “Why I never!” in the voice of a southern belle. 

Once everyone had gotten themselves calmed down, the older couple went about greeting the Evans family.  The tiny woman, who had to be close to eighty, kept glancing back at you, as well as Chris. Lisa introduced you to her long time neighbors, referring to you as “Chris’s friend.”  Sitting back down as they talked to the others, you hadn’t realized that you were nervously playing with the ends of your hair until you felt a hand upon your shoulder.  Looking up, you saw that it was Lisa and, when you made eye contact, she gave your shoulder a little comforting squeeze and gave you a wink along with a small, but warm, smile.  

The doorbell rang again and she excused herself to answer it, after escorting the first couple to the door leading to the spacious, tree lined yard.  Lisa had set up multiple picnic and folding tables, some under pop up canopies, some just with large umbrellas to help with the sun.  

She returned with more neighbors, these a little closer to her age, and holding platters of food they'd brought to add to the party. To each one, you were Chris’s friend, but the looks upon their faces as they looked between you and Chris, assured you that they knew the truth. It was likely they could be trusted with the secret of your relationship, but it was always better to be safe. 

From your time outside, and your current view, it was clear that someone in the family was into the small details and your Pinterest obsessed ass approved. When you asked about it, you found out it was Shanna and she told you about some of the ideas she used, as well as some she wanted to do that turned into Pinterest “fails.”  

Each table was covered with paper tablecloths in solid red, white, or blue. There were adorable weights clipped to them that were in the shapes of flags, stars, and fireworks. Small, metal buckets, navy blue with white stars, sat at the center of each table and contained plastic utensils wrapped inside of paper napkins, tied with curling ribbon, as well as several small flags.  Star shaped balloons in the color scheme were tied to random chairs and to some of the trees closest to the edge of the clearing. They danced in the breeze when it kicked up. So did the bamboo wind chimes hanging just outside the porch.  You found the sound so soothing that you made a mental note to purchase them in the future.

The six of you stayed on the porch, for now, continuing to chat.  Scott got up and started the music playing over the outdoor speakers, a mix of seventies through current hits from the sounds of it.    

Chris had taken the seat to your left and now pulled it very close to yours.  He leaned in to speak with you quietly, making eye contact and maintaining it as he explained in a soft, serious voice, “I’m sorry about the ‘friend’ thing.  Mom and I talked about it and we just thought it would be less complicated, generate less questions, than if you got introduced to everyone as my ‘girlfriend.’”  Before you could interject, he added, “It would just open the floodgates to a million questions.”

You placed your hand on his arm and nodded, confirming that you understood.  With an amused smile, you lowered your voice and told him, “I saw the way the little old lady in the blue was looking at us.  She didn’t buy the ‘friends’ thing for a second! If she knew for sure, I could just see her asking, ‘So when’s the wedding?”

“Ooooh, you mean Dolores? Yeah, she’s known us since we were babies and she has no filter.  She would probably have skipped the wedding and gone straight to, 'When are you having babies?  Someone has to carry the Evans last name, you know!'”

You chuckled and repeated, "Dolores."

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Nothing, it’s just - every time I hear that name I think of this old episode of Seinfeld.”

“Fahck, yes!!  The one where he can’t remember the girl’s name, but it rhymes with a woman’s body part?”

“Mulva?” you said slowly, quoting from the episode.

“Clitoris?” Chris questioned, continuing the quote, before smacking his head and saying louder, “Dolores!” 

The volume of your speech had increased as you both got carried away with the joke and now Shanna and Scott were jumping on the Seinfeld wagon, discussing other favorite moments. 

You leaned in to Chris while his siblings were trading lines and confirmed, “By the way, I’m not upset at all about the ‘friend’ thing, it’s what I had expected, actually, and I totally get it.  The less questions the better.  Your mom made sure I knew it was being said for a reason, anyway.”

Satisfied, Chris gave you a quick kiss and then sat back.  Carly, Ryan and Stella came in from the yard and the little girl grabbed a juice pouch from a cooler before making a beeline for Shanna, who was seated on your right.  

“Come on up, Bean,” she instructed while pulling her up onto her lap.  Chris’s niece was adorable.  She had a brilliant smile and blue eyes very much like her uncle and a voice that made you want to keep asking her questions just so she would continue talking.  You found out “Bean” was her nickname and it was so fitting for this little sweet jelly bean of a child.  

Lisa continued bringing in neighbors as they arrived, bringing them to the others in the backyard, but you all remained on the porch for now.  You already had a playful relationship with Scott, but were surprised by how quickly you seemed to connect with Shanna. It was natural, one of those people that makes you feel like you’ve known each other for years.  They were all in general very genuine and embracing of you, good humored and open, and very loving with each other.  Ryan did a little talking, but he was on his phone a lot and Carly was talking but not as much as the others.  From her, you got more of a watchful vibe, but she was also quite frequently distracted by the kids.  It was still comfortable, but you could tell she would be the last one you would win over amongst the siblings.  

During the conversations, Chris was constantly touching you, even if it was just a few fingertips along your arm or the back of your neck, which was exposed after you pulled your hair up into a high ponytail to help with the warmth of the porch.  Dodger had entered with Carly and was parked beneath the table by Stella, probably hoping she would drop some of the snacks her mom had just handed her in a bowl. 

You were sitting with your legs crossed, enjoying a little game with Chris where you would dangle your flip flop at the end of your toes and he would knock it off with his.  After several rounds, you casually asked, “So, were we super early for this shindig or were the neighbors super late?” 

Chris was taking a sip of beer and had to swallow it quickly then wipe his mouth, taken off guard by the question. Beside you, Shanna chuckled, no doubt enjoying the redness creeping into her brother’s face.  

“Truth?”

“Always.”

“We were early.  Mom wanted to have some time to get to know you before everyone else arrived.”  

Even as the words were leaving his lips, you were nodding and pointing at him, “I knew it! When no one else came  thought there was something up.”  

Suddenly, a man’s booming voice calling “Hello” at the far side of the porch caught everyone’s attention.  Behind him, you could see several other people walking through the yard towards Lisa and you soon found out they were Chris’s relatives and that they had come in through the side gate.  With family now here, everyone left the porch and went outside to make the rounds and mingle.  Uncles, aunts, cousins, one after another were introduced to you; so many that you lost count and had no hope of keeping any names straight. You were amused by how strongly so many of the male cousins resembled each other, Chris being the cutest, of course.  You stuck close to his side and smiled and shook hands, enjoying the fact that Chris had a tendency of introducing you not as his friend, but just as “Nicole.”  It felt like an elevated status somehow, more solid.  

The temperature wasn’t climbing much and, provided you had cover from the sun, the mid-80’s weather was still comfortable. It felt a lot warmer in the direct, July sun, though.  

While speaking with one of Chris’s aunts, you suddenly felt fingers pinching your waist on both sides just as Scott leaned in next to your ear to call out, “Boo!”  You squealed and jumped, instantly, completely caught off guard.  Scott was laughing so hard at your reaction that he had to clutch his stomach as he quickly danced out the way to avoid getting swatted by you.  He should have looked at where he was going first, though, because Chris was right at his side, pulling him into a “friendly” headlock and whispering something you couldn’t quite make out.   Even their aunt felt the need to apologize for her nephew’s childish pranks.  Mind you, every one of them said these things with a slight smile on their faces that proved they secretly found his antics amusing. Honestly, even though you were getting the brunt of it, you couldn’t blame them. 

Dodger was so happy with all the attention he was getting that there was a real possibility his tail would fly off or at least get sprained because of how hard and fast it was wagging as he made the rounds.  You were watching the dog as Chris went to the coolers to refresh your drinks.  He was a couple of beers ahead of you and he was going to stay that way since you had offered to  drive tonight.  There were enough hours left that you didn’t mind enjoying yourself now and sobering up as the party progressed, but you knew to pace yourself. When he returned he had another long neck for himself and a bottle of water for you.

Lisa was on her way inside when she made a detour to come see you. With a hand on your shoulder and another on your forearm, she leaned in to say,  “Before I forget, Nicole, I wanted to tell you how beautiful you look today.  I love this dress on you!”  

With a blush in your cheeks, you thanked her, turning into Chris’s shoulder to hide your face while she went inside.  He wrapped his arm around you and held you tight to his chest as you beamed a smile up at him, feeling exuberant at that little exchange with his mom.  You were a little surprised when he gave you a lingering kiss right there in front of anyone who happened to be looking in your direction.  

“Your mommy thinks I look beautiful!” you repeated with a grin.  

"Well, I think you look ravishing.”  Dipping his head down towards your ear, he added, “And while I love the dress on you, I’d love to see what you’re wearing under it even more.”  Taken by surprise, you quickly looked up, just in time to see the way he was eye fucking you, changing your smile from sweet to sultry.  Was there anyone else in the yard at that moment? They could’ve all been whisked off in a spaceship for all you knew.  There was nothing more than you and Chris and the heat generated between your bodies that had nothing to do with the July sun. 

A call coming from one of the tables ended the daydreaming.  Chris’s uncle was calling him over to settle a disagreement about the Sox.  “Go on and catch up with the boys.  It’ll give me some time with your sister.  I’ll catch you later.”  You set him free with a closed lip smile and a jut of your chin towards his uncle’s table while you made your way to an empty seat beside Shanna at another table.  “Mind if I sit with you for a while?”

“Not at all, I’d love a little girl time. And a while is right, when my uncle gets to talking about baseball it’s never quick.”

Taking a the seat beside her, you let out a resigned sigh and agreed, “Boys and their balls, they sure do love them.”  Shanna had just taken a sip from her own bottled water and had to turn her head quickly to spit it out, laughter suddenly erupting from her.

"Oh my god," Shanna wheezed through her laughter, coughing slightly as she choked on some of her water. "That was -" She shook her head, as if unable to find the right words.

You immediately placed a hand on her back, thumping it to instinctively to help her with the choking.  All the while, you were both still laughing, gathering looks from the surrounding tables.

"Thanks," Shanna said, attempting to reign in her laughter a little. "Chris said you were funny, but he can exaggerate sometimes, but he was totally spot on with you. I'm going to have to watch what I drink around you. I don't want anything, especially beer or a soft drink coming out my nose." She reached for the water bottle, but froze and glanced at you. "Don't say anything funny for a sec, ok?"

“You’re brother’s just easily amused,” you said with an exaggerated sigh, shrugging your shoulders. 

Her quick sip of water successfully swallowed, Shanna gave a nod of thanks and then asked, "So how was the drive from Long Island?"  As dramatic as the rest of her family, she attempted her best Long Island-like accent when pronouncing the name.

You caught onto her teasing jab, giving her an amused smile for a moment before answering in your own exaggerated accent, not unlike Janice from Friends, “It was lawwng.  Took me for-evah to get hea.”  Switching back to normal speech as you both giggled, you continued, “I’m hoping the ride home isn’t as bad.  That was torture yesterday, but it gave me some good singing and thinking time.  And the destination made it all worthwhile.”

“What do you think of Chris’s place?”

“I love it! It’s so not what I expected.  I mean, I don’t really know what I expected, to be honest, but given his profession I was happily surprised that it was so..so.. normal.”

“No, I get it, I totally get it.  Around here we keep it as low key as possible for him.  He’s just Chris.  His house in LA is fantastic but it always feels like I’m going to a resort or something.  It’s too perfect, y’know?”

“He’s told me about it, but I’ve never seen it.  I love the little touches he has in this one.  Like, oh my god, that vase you gave him as a joke gift?”

“Vase?” she wondered, before the memory of it returned, “Oh yeah! The ugly thing that looks like crayons were melted on it?”

“That’s the one.  He was telling me about some of the items in the living room.  It may be an ugly little vase, but he loves it because it came from you.”

Content with herself, she quipped, “He is a pretty great big brother.”

“A regular angel growing up, I bet,” you added, sarcastically. 

“Angel?  Oh sure, when he wasn’t whipping off his halo and using it as a steering wheel to drive Ma nuts.”

This time, you were the one to do the spit take as she caught you off guard after a sip of your water.  Looking at each other with smiles that crinkled the corners of your eyes, you tapped  your respective bottles together and called it even.

“I love the image you just gave me.  I’ll have to remember that one.”

“He was a good kid overall, but it drove me insane that he managed to get that halo back on before she would catch him doing the really bad shit.  He’d give her that smile and she’d blame Scott or me.  His charm let him get away with murder sometimes.”

“I’m sure it still does.”

“Better believe it.  Italian women and their first born sons have a bond like no other.”

Carly came by and pulled a chair over to the table, sitting across from you.  Across the way, Stella left Lisa’s lap and come over to her mommy where she curled up onto her lap.  The boys were in the corner of the yard on the blacktop playing basketball with their dad, Scott, and some teenage cousins.  

“So, what’s the topic of conversation?” She asked, stroking her daughters long, straight brown hair. The little girl was looking a little sleepy, probably the effect of the warm weather and activity. A little rest against her mommy was just what she needed. 

“Oh, you know,” Shanna said with a smirk, “just telling her how Chris got away with everything as a kid.”

Throwing her hands up in the air, Carly sat there shaking her head and rolling her eyes skyward.  “He used to torture poor Scott.  It’s probably why Scotty feels the need to torture people himself now that he’s older.” 

“Did he pick on you, too, or just the younger kids?” you asked his older sister.  

“Not me as much, mainly because I was older and bigger and would whoop his ass when he tried.  But he showed no mercy to these two.”

“We got back at him a lot, too, but it was certainly not even.”

“I’m the baby of the family, too, I get it, trust me,” you said, getting a high five from Shanna.

As if he knew the topic of conversation was about him, Chris looked your way, casting that scrunchy faced smile that got him out of many predicaments. He gave you a wave, flapping his fingers against his palms, the way a little kid would wave.  You melted, the girls noticed.  

“Dayum, she’s got it bad,” joked Carly. 

“Beyond saving if she thinks that dork is adorable,” confirmed Shanna.

You were at a loss for words, mouth opening and shutting with nothing coming out, your hands motioning towards Chris as you shrugged your shoulders.  You stopped and comedically nodded, hanging your head in shame as they laughed at your antics. 

They told you a few stories from their childhood, then the rest of the talk changed to non-Chris topics.  You complimented Shanna’s nails, which had these beautiful fireworks painted on the ring finger of each hand against red polish.  When you saw Carly’s, you complimented the artist of the white nails with splotches of red and blue upon them. They were messy, but you remembered fondly how your niece would take great pride in doing the same to yours at that age. Your guess at the artist was correct.  Stella blushed and shyly thanked you, when you told her what a great job she had done on her mommy’s nails.  

A little more awake now, she came over to stand next to you, taking your hand in hers, and told you she liked yours.  They were a simple blue, you told her they were “Captain’s Blue,” after her uncle.  Nothing too fancy, but they were neat.  She offered to make them “bootiful” for you later and you told her you’d be honored, giving her a quick hug around the shoulders and peck on her forehead. 

You rejoined the girls in conversation at the table and it was a verbal ping pong game as you munched on chips, talked clothes, shows, music, your families, you name it.  The smile on your face and laughter was constant between the three of you, it felt like you were hanging out with your girlfriends back home. 

Good hearty laughter and happiness worked as well alcohol at lowering your inhibitions a bit and, when a song by Bruno Mars came on that you adored, “That’s What I Like,” you found out you had some singing buddies in Chris’s sisters.  When Bruno belted out the line, “ _ I’ll never make a promise that I can’t keep _ ,” the three of you joined him, each of you with one hand up in praise and one hand to the heart.  Apparently, it was a little on the loud side and when you opened your eyes, closed while you “preached,” you saw several heads turned towards your tables, most with smiles on them as they turned back to their own business. Lisa seemed to be enjoying the show, Stella was giggling, enjoying the silly display. Chris was seated at the end of his table and was watching you, his shoulders shaking slightly as he laughed.  

You kept your eyes on Chris and pointed at him, then yourself, then both while mouthing, “Now  _ take a look in that mirror, and tell me who’s the fairest.  Is it you?  Is it me? Say it’s us.  And I’ll agree, baby _ .”

While you were able to be silly and stupid with his sisters at your table, Chris was at a table filled with uncles and cousins, likely all involved in sports and work talk.  He was, however, able to mouth, “ _ Here I am, baby _ ,” with an adorable face of a confident goofball. Feeling extremely loose and uninhibited, you went full tilt on the next verse, arms held up and wide, extending towards him as you sat in your chair.  “ _ If you want it, girl come and get it.  All this is here for you! _ ” you mouthed, now waving your hands up and down in the air in front of your body, before turning in your chair and finishing the song with the girls who were also going for it at this point.  “ _ Tell me baby. Tell me, tell me baby!  What you tryna do? _ ”

Stella decided to join in the fun at this point, even if she was essentially making up all her own words, which was good since Bruno’s lyrics weren’t necessarily kid friendly.  

After the song was over, you talked with the little cutie for a bit, finding out her favorite movie was Moana.  Without prompting, she jumped up and did a quick performance of “You’re Welcome.” Theatrical talent certainly ran deep in the veins of this family.  

Excitedly, she began to bounce up and down then asked, “Can you push me on the swing?  Pweease???” Following her finger, you saw she was pointing to a swingset in the opposite corner of the yard.  There was just no way you could say no to that little cherub of a face.  

You looked at her seriously for a moment, before breaking out into a smile, raising your brows quickly and challenging, “Race ya!”  With a loud giggle she took off, you going slowly behind her to make sure she won. 

After you were pushing her for a couple of minutes, another little girl around her age came running over.  They hugged each other, then you suddenly had two kids to push.  Not that you minded, whatsoever.  You found out her name and that she was a cousin. She pointed out her mommy, who was now in your seat at the table with Chris’s sisters. 

As you were pushing, standing between the swings so you could use one hand for each of them and alternate who was going forward and who was coming back.  You were a pro at this after so many years of doing it for Alex and Maddie. You felt eyes upon you and looked over to see it was your precious dork.  He was giving you one of those soft, sweet looks that could only be described as “Golden Retriever.”  Apparently, he approved of the way you were utilizing your time. 

When the girls decided they wanted to change from swings to the bounce house, you took the opportunity to slip inside the house for the restroom.  Carly and Shanna seemed to be in deep conversation with their relative, so you figured no one would be looking for you.  Finding the downstairs bathroom occupied, you leaned against the wall in the hallway, waiting your turn. 

“Fancy meeting you here,” Chris said, suddenly appearing in the hallway.  He leaned against the wall and giving you a flirty smile.  

“Fuckin’ stalker,” you playfully muttered under your breath.  When you heard him laugh, you added, “Well, I only came because I heard this incredibly sexy guy was going to show up today.”

“Huh, really? Did you meet him?.”

“I did!,” quickly adding, “But it turns out he’s gay,” you added sadly. 

Taken by surprise, Chris guffawed, leaning forward and clutching his stomach.  Composing himself quickly, he asked, “No shit? Well, that must suck.”

“It really does, but it has happens more than you think.  At least this time there’s a consolation prize.”  When you saw him raise a questioning brow, you continued, “He’s got a hot brother, who as far as I know, is straight.  Kinda hoping I can catch his eye, maybe hook up a little,” you concluded with an exaggerated wink and suggestive gesture of your hips. 

“Well, if I find the hottie I’ll send him your way, promise.  I’ll even put in a good word for ya!” 

“Yeah! Please do, you know where to find me,” you said with a sigh, sadly eyeing the doorway of the still occupied bathroom, “hanging out in a hallway doing the pee-pee dance.”

“Nope. Can’t allow that, you’re not piddling on the floor on my watch.  C’mon, we can use the ones upstairs.”

Chris led you up the staircase at the other end of the hall and up to the second floor where the bedrooms were located.  Pointing as you walked, he brought you to the bathroom on the left, while he went to use the master bath.  He was coming back down the hallway towards you when you exited.

“Wanna see my bedroom?” he asked with a wiggle of his brow and a cock of his head towards a room facing the front of the house.   _ Would you like to see it? _  Did he seriously think he had to ask that of you?  You practically pranced down the hall towards him. 

He allowed you to enter first and you changed from prancing to slow, deliberate steps with your hands clasped behind your back.  Carefully surveying the room, you reconciled the image you had created in your mind with the realities of it.   Through interviews and articles over the years, he had given fans a glimpse at what his childhood bedroom looked like.  The posters of Sandra Bullock were long gone, although his love of Disney was apparent even in here by the three framed lithographs on the walls. 

The room itself was neat, simple and masculine.  Plush dark gray carpeting complimented walls that were painted a lighter shade of gray, except for the one behind the bed which had wallpaper in a striped pattern of gray and black. There was white crown molding along the top of the walls.  The curtain to the large window, which looked out over the front yard, was in a similar pattern as the wallpaper, with a white pull down shade behind it.  The full sized bed featured a wooden headboard and was covered by a puffy black comforter;  

Simple wood dressers and a desk with an office chair completed the space.  Above the desk was an open bookcase/shelving unit containing a few trophies and awards.  There were some Star Wars figurines, an old Yoda piggy bank, several framed pictures of Chris in shows, likely performed at the Concord Theater, and a small collection of Disney figurines.  Some of figurines could easily be dated back to his childhood, others were newer.   You picked up one of several Marvel ones, holding a tiny Captain America in your hand to inspect as you cooed over it. He explained his mom had the full set downstairs, these were duplicates she had acquired.  

On his nightstand was a Patriots lamp and behind it, you noted with a chuckle, was an old Mickey Mouse phone, maybe 15 inches tall, standing on a black base and leaning his elbow against the raised area that held a red corded phone.  

“I love the phone!  I shit you not, I had the exact same one back in the nineties!”  You had forgotten all about that phone until now, memories of countless hours speaking on it with your friends flooding back and making you a little nostalgic.  

Your body face was turned away from Chris and you were surprised when you heard a click as he pushed in the lock to the door.  Quickly looking over your shoulder, you narrowed your gaze, eyeing him suspiciously., “What are you up to, Evans?”

Keeping your head turned, you watched as Chris approached you with a slow, sexy strut as he explained, “You got this ‘sweet, good girl in her dress’ thing going on, but I  _ know _ naughty Nicole is hiding right under the surface.”

Looking away from him and at the bed, you kept your eyes trained forward to keep the element of surprise until he reached you.  Your eyelids closed as you took in the sensation of his fingertips as they ghosted their way up from your wrists to your shoulders. “Your skin is so warm,” you heard him say in a deep voice as he pressed his lips against the exposed flesh of your back.  His mouth grazed up to the nape of your neck, the beard growth tickling you slightly and making your heart race, and you could feel the tiny hairs at the back of your neck tingle under his soft, hot breath.  You heard him inhale your scent; a low murmur from the back of his throat afterwards let you know he liked it.  

Chris’s hands released your shoulders and encircled your waist, holding you tight to his body.  When he placed his lips against a known pleasure spot on the left side of your neck and gently sucked, it was impossible to stifle a breathy sigh.  He slowly made his way up to just behind your ear, his hands on the prowl as one reached your breasts and the other dipped down the apex of your thighs.  

“What are you doing to me?” you asked headily, eyelids fluttering as you enjoyed the sensations he was bringing forth.  Your hands had a mind of their own and were caressing the tops of his arms as they moved around your body.  They weren’t trying to stop him, instead, it was more a matter of urging him on and applying more pressure where you wanted it. 

“Turning you on, I hope,” he answered in a deep and equally soft voice.  “You did say downstairs that you were hoping to hook up, right?”  No argument there, it was definitely working.

“I want you,” he said just before he palmed your breast and kneaded it in his large hand.  “Do you want me?”  He used his hand to push your hips back against his, grinding into you.  The erection you felt poking against you left no doubt as to exactly what wanted.  

With your voice a little shaky, as you tried to maintain the last shreds of strength you had, you responded, “Of course I do, but I don’t know that this is the time or place for this.” Even as you said that, your hand was working its way behind you and up into his hair. 

“Don’t overthink it, what’s your body telling you it wants?”

He had no idea how close to home that comment actually came. You had thought of many things that could happen today, but this, fucking in his childhood bedroom, had never crossed your mind.  This was fanfiction fodder, not real life, and, yet, here you were. Your brain was racing with questions. Could you?  Would you? Even at a moment like this your mental scale made an instant appearance and demanded calculations.  If things went wrong and you never made it back here, would you regret not throwing caution to the wind and being with him right now?  

“There’s a house full of people,” you countered, stalling for time.

“They’re downstairs and most of them are outside.” 

“But what if they hear us?”

“We’ll just have to be quiet.” Out of nowhere, he smacked your ass. After a sharp intake of breath, you slowly shook your head as your smile spread, realized the game he was looking to play here.  

Looking at the obvious spot, you nervously questioned, “What if they hear the bed squeaking?”

Chris moved to the other side of your neck, licking a trail along vein there that was practically throbbing as your pulse increased.  

“Who said we have to use the bed?”

Well, that got your attention.  You turned your neck to look at him and raised your brow.  He answered with mischief in his eyes, a sly smile upon his lips.  “Where there’s a wall, there’s a way.”  Your panties never stood a chance. 

Turning your body around so you were chest to chest, Chris bent his neck, lowering his lips to yours.  After a few soft kisses, he changed it up and the kisses became harder, more needy.  He stopped for a moment and said, “I want to fuck you, Nicole.”  Resuming to attack your mouth before continuing, “I want to sink my dick into you hard and deep against that wall.”  You pulled away and looked into his eyes to find them full of need and lust, no doubt mirroring your own. 

Decision made, you were not going to give up this chance.  “Take me however you want me, baby,” you moaned before aggresively kissing him again.  You sucked his tongue the way you had on your first date, pretending it was his cock and it put him over the edge.  Chris moved his hands to your armpits, his strong upper body easily lifting you up like it weighed nothing, and carried you to the wall a few feet behind him.  

As soon as he released you, your hands reached up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him in close for another passionate kiss.  He was grinding himself against you when you realized there was something that could halt this whole thing right now.

“Protection?” you asked, eyes wide and pleading for him to have something stashed in the room.  He did you one better.  Instead of having to worry about an old, expired condom, he reached into the pocket of his cargo shorts and pulled out a fresh one.  

“Fuckin’ Boy Scout, you planned this didn’t you?” you accused, trying to sound offended but failing miserably because of the smile spreading across your face.

“Let’s just say that when I saw you had that dress, I realized I could fulfill a fantasy I’ve had for a long time.”

He looked down at your chest, which was practically heaving at this point from excitement, and ran his hands down the sides of your body.  The look on his face was mesmerizing, you couldn’t take your eyes off of him and the way his lashes showed the progress of his sweep along your body. 

Chris brought his index finger to your lips, dragging the bottom one as he slid it down your mouth and chin, trailing it down your throat and into your cleavage. Once it reached the top of the dress, he used it to pull the fabric out slightly and used his other hand to begin undoing the small buttons one at a time, exposing your skin to him little by little.  The anticipation was already making your breathing ragged and your heart was pounding beneath his hands.  When he reached the last button, he peeled the flaps of the bodice apart, revealing the sheer satin ivory colored bra beneath.  “Front closure? Perfect,” he confirmed as he passed his finger over the rhinestone covered clasp that rested between your breasts.  

Undoing the snap with ease, his hand wasted no time at all as it cupped your breast, kneading the flesh, his thumb swiping across the sensitive pink bud.  You gasped as his other hand suddenly snuck under the hem of your dress and took a hold of your pussy, fingers sliding over you against the matching satin fabric that covered you there.  

The need for him consumed you, God, the power this man had over you! 

“Jesus, Nikki, you’re soaked already,” he said, working his fingers into your panties and running them over your sex. “Guess you’re a naughtier girl than I thought,” he teased.

You couldn’t wait anymore.  It wasn’t like you to act like some horny teenager, sneaking off into her boyfriend’s room for sex, but that’s all you wanted to be doing right now.  The faster, the hard, the better, you had no more qualms about this.

“Guess you do bring out the bad girl side of me. Now, get your cock in me before I explode,” you commanded, saying the words slowly and deliberately.  You felt every bit like a vixen right now and wanted your pounding of flesh in the worst way.   When you saw the surprised, and delighted, look in his eyes you added sweetly, “Please.” 

“We don’t have a lot of time before people notice we’re gone.  This isn’t going to be gentle, and it isn’t going to be slow.”

“Perfect,” you replied, a sexy smirk coming across your lips as you raised your chin high and stared him down, daring him to follow through. 

Chris released you and roughly spun you around so your face was to the wall.  He kissed your throat again, a little stronger, before biting the flesh of your shoulder beside the wide straps of your dress.  His hands slid down, groping your ass through the dress before reaching beneath your skirt and taking hold of your panties.  He pulled them down forcefully and let them drop.  You stepped out of them in seconds and kicked them out the way.  

Chris’s hands gripped your ass, squeezing and separating the cheeks as he started telling you, in detail, all the things he wanted to do to you in here if there was more time and privacy. 

Your forearms were braced against the wall, as was your forehead, as you waited to see what would come next.  He didn’t put his hands on you again, needing to take care of his own business first.  The sound of him unbuckling his belt, followed by his zipper going down, was your undoing.  You'd always joked around and said “Sploosh” when it had come to talking about Chris and how he made you feel sexually with your friends.  You were now the living embodiment of that term. The sound of the foil packet being ripped open made your body hum, knowing that thick, stiff dick would soon be buried within you.  

There was no more foreplay, there was no need for it.  Chris flipped your skirt up, tucking the bottom of it into the back of your dress to keep it out of the way, reached between your legs to guide himself in and then entered you in one thrust, causing you both to grunt with satisfaction at the feeling.  “Remember, Nic, you have to stay quiet.”  You could only nod, afraid of opening your mouth and risking the moans that were rising there from escaping. 

He braced his right arm against the wall and took a tight grip of your hip with his left as he started to fuck you earnestly, pulled out almost to the tip before slamming into you again.  It felt incredible; this angle was letting him hit spots deep within you that were causing your inner walls to clench deliciously.  As his thrusting became faster you found it difficult to keep your silence and the gasps and small cries of passion were growing louder.  

He released your hip and covered your mouth with his hand to help, which for some reason only escalated your excitement.  He was also having trouble keeping quiet as he chased his release and he would frequently take the flesh of your neck and shoulders into his mouth to smother the sounds. You kept your left hand braced upon the wall, but moved your right hand down and began to work your clit with your index and middle finger, trying to help yourself reach your peak faster.  It worked and you were quickly at the edge, you could tell Chris was reaching it too as his thrusts began to become erratic.  

“Let go for me,” he growled and you did, biting down on his hand to help keep in the cry of ecstasy as your climax unleashed.  Your legs were shaking as the waves of pleasure kept going like the fireworks you’d see tonight and another hard one hit you as he gripped your hips tightly with both hands and practically pulled you backwards onto his cock.  When he came, it was with a loud breathy groan and powerful enough that he had to bite down on the soft, tender flesh where your shoulder and neck met.  

He withdrew himself then moved beside you, resting against the wall to your right. You both took a couple of minutes to compose yourselves.  A laugh erupted from you, which you quickly got under control.  You still couldn’t believe the things this man was able to convince you to do.  It was scary, and a little exciting. 

You exchanged a quick kiss and a smile. With shaky fingers, you hastily rebuttoned the top of your dress.   You swiped your panties off the rug and balled them up in your hand, not wanting to get them any more wet by putting them on just yet.  

Peeking into the hall to make sure the coast was clear, you and Chris ran to the bathrooms you had emerged from not too long ago to clean up.  Before you left, you splashed some cold water on your face and chest, letting it run a little over your wrists to help your body temperature cool down. A quick smoothing of your hair, to make sure you were presentable, and it was back to being a good girl. 

After meeting back up in the hallway, feeling positively euphoric from the rush of adrenaline and endorphins still coursing through you, you took his hand and let him lead you back towards the staircase.  He stopped just before going down and kissed you, ending by holding your face in his hands and giving you the biggest, goofiest smile to date.  Your reaction to it made him laugh loudly as he turned and pulled you behind him down the steps. 

When you were halfway down, Scott turned the corner and started to head up.  You couldn’t make eye contact, your face turned tomato red and was burning so hot you could feel it.  “Well, hello there,” he said smugly and you could feel his eyes on you.  A quick glance his way was all it took for him to him to start whistling as he finished his ascent.  

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, you stepped beside Chris and whispered, “Do you think he knows?” 

“He probably assumes something happened, you know you and your glass face, but he’d never think it was as fahcking hot as what we just did,” he replied, giving you a wink and then a smack on the ass as he let you go into the porch ahead of him.  You swiveled away from him and pointed your index finger at him as a warning to quit it.  You had a reputation to uphold, after all.

Chris allowed you to go out first, but he ended up swiftly going past you as he shouted, “Drew!” Curious, you watched as he made a beeline for the woman.  She was sitting with Shanna and Carly, in the seat formerly occupied by his cousin, and stood up to intercept Chris, stepping out from the chair and immediately becoming  gathered into one of his bear hugs.  The woman was wearing a form fitting Boston Red Sox jersey and a matching hat, her shoulder length hair was parted into braids. 

She was also quite striking and, although you’d just had an intensely intimate interlude with Chris, you couldn’t stop the fluttering in your belly as you wondered who the beautiful woman in his arms was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to @theycallmebecca for being my beta this chapter!
> 
> Song Inspiration for this chapter was:
> 
> There's Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes  
> In Your Room by The Bangles  
> Anytime, Anyplace by Janet Jackson  
> That's What I Like by Bruno Mars


	34. Firecrackers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole spends the rest of July 4th with Chris and his family, the night doesn't end as she had planned.

You slowly made your way towards the table, nervously playing with the tips of your fingers.  Chris was no longer hugging the other woman, but he was still holding her in a loose embrace as he spoke animatedly.  Your footsteps sped up when he released her completely and extended an arm your way, motioning for you to come over. 

As you were closing in on them, he said, “Nic, this is my cousin, Drew.”  Cousin?  Well, that certainly put a pep into your step.  You were about to say “Hello” when he added, “Drew, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Nicole.”

Your head turned towards Chris, quickly, as a smile broke out across your face so big that your cheeks threatened to block your vision.  It was the first time he had “claimed” you and damn did it make you feel amazing!  Seeming to sense the reason behind your big, dopey grin, Chris returned one of his own, his hand reaching out to stroke your back as you shook hands with Drew and formally met. 

As you walked around to the open seats at the other side of the table, you heard him ask if she’d been there long.  She told him only about ten minutes, she’d just made the rounds with everyone and had been looking for him, but no one had seemed to know where he'd gone. 

“Hey, there you are! We were wondering where you two had disappeared to,” Shanna said as you and Chris took seats at the table.  You caught a conspiratory look passing between she and Carly after they eyed you and their brother.  

“I, um, I had to use the bathroom,” you answered nervously, pushing stray hair behind your ear as you tried to brush off the implication that you were feeling from their glances. 

“Must’ve been some long line,” Carly muttered before the sisters busted out into amused giggles with each other.

You could feel your cheeks burning then blazing as they went on, and finally bright, hot fire level when Drew said, “Oh! Nicole, your buttons are done up wrong!” pointing at your chest.  You stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights, relieved when she added, “I can’t  _ not _ tell somebody when they have something wrong like that, or food in their teeth.  I always want to be told.”  

Since she'd just gotten there, she had no idea that you and Chris had been missing for while, but his sisters knew and that was all the evidence they needed to confirm you had been doing more than using the bathroom.  

Mortified, you immediately looked down and saw that she was correct.  Your hands covered the tiny tattle-talers and you stammered out a “Thank you.” as loud laughter roared from Carly and Shanna.  

Leaning back in her chair with her arm resting on the table and her fingers drumming on the top, Shanna remarked, with a sly smile on her face, “Huh, that’s odd. I didn’t notice a problem with the buttons before. In fact, I remember looking at her dress and thinking how pretty it was.”

“Guys, cahmon!  Let’s be grownups here,” Chris pleaded, trying to diffuse the situation.  Drew was looking at everyone in confusion, her brows knitting together, before realization dawned on her and she covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped, “Oh my God!” before laughing herself. With her hands outstretched towards you and Chris, she kept repeating,  “I’m sorry, dude, I’m so sorry.”  

You didn’t know if she was speaking to you or to to Chris.  By this time, you had a trembling hand shielding the area and were trying your best to fix the buttons of your dress correctly.  It was proving difficult to accomplish with your eyes shut and your mind racing with badgering thoughts.  There was just no looking at anyone right now.  You were fifty shades of red, the heat of your embarrassment causing your ears to burn and your chest to feel warm.  Your stomach in knots. The desire to laugh and cry at the same time meant that your lip was almost at the point of bleeding due to the death grip your teeth had on it. 

“Hey, babe, it’s okay,” Chris coaxed before adding, “here, let me help.”  You briefly opened your eyes and watched as he picked up a plate from the center of the table and held it up as a shield between the area where your buttons were located and the outside world.  Still keeping your eyes closed and looking down, you worked on them as Chris and his siblings bickered over pushing the teasing too far.  Both sisters quietly apologized to both you and Chris. 

After finishing the last button, you blew out a hard breath and gave yourself a quick pep talk before looking up to face the music.  You and Chris had done what you had done, you didn’t regret it.  You were a grown, sexually active woman and you were going to own that shit!  When you opened your eyes and looked at Chris, you saw that he was pretty red faced himself.  He lowered his face, a sheepish look upon it, then looked back towards your from the corner of eyes and caught yours.  There was a pregnant pause as you spoke to each other without the use of words, your eyes conveying all of the embarrassment and amusement at getting caught, the thrill of the stolen, sexy moment still coursing through your veins, the desire that was still there for each other, and underneath it all the playfulness and deep connection that was at the core of your relationship.  When you were finally unable to keep a straight face and lost it, barking out a laugh that caused you to double over, Chris following suit while clutching his stomach. While you worked at regaining your composure, you rested your head in your hands, your elbow propping it up on the table. 

Carly, talking rapidly and emphasizing each word with her hands, warned, “I don’t wanna know where, who, how, or why, but for Nikki’s sake, let’s hope Scott doesn’t find out.”

“Aaaah, it might be too late for that.  He saw us coming down the stairs,” you admitted, grimacing.  

“You’re so fucked!” Carly said with empathy, reaching out to you, before realizing the double entendre and starting to laugh again, setting you off, too.  Your face had to be turning purple by this point. 

Chris came to the rescue. “Excuse me, but don’t think for a second that I've forgotten what you and Ryan were like back in the day.  You guys were the biggest horndogs on the planet when you first met.”

His big sister pursed her lips, but couldn’t keep them from turning into a smile as she looked across the yard at her husband.  “You’re right,” she said before letting out a big sigh.  “I miss those days when everything is new and you can’t keep your hands off each other.”

With a dismissive wave of her hand she replied, “Yeah, well, that was a long time ago, enjoy it while you can.”

Carly sat with a contemplative look upon her face as Chris changed the subject and began to catch up with Drew, Shanna joining in with them. 

You were listening, trying to learn what you could about everyone from the conversation, but you kept looking over at Carly. You saw the look in her eyes.  She was looking towards Ryan such a wistful gaze.  Leaning away from the others and towards her, you encouraged softly, “You know, there’s no reason you couldn’t get some of that back.” 

She raised her brow then said with a sigh,  “There’s three reasons why it just can’t ever  _ happen _ like that anymore.” She motioned with her chin towards the area where the kids were all playing.

You cheerleaded a bit, empathizing with her as much as you could.  “I get it, I do!  I mean, I’m not a mom, or a wife -and I hope I’m not out of line by saying this- but you guys are more than just parents.  You’re lovers too.  It’s important to find moments when you can rekindle that spark.”

"You’re right,” Carly said, slowly nodding her head, “but it’s easier said than done.”  

“I’m sure it is,” you replied with an understanding smile.  You had enough friends and family with young children to know to struggle, even if not first hand.  “It’s worth a try though, isn’t it? What have you got to lose?”

Carly met your eyes and you saw the little spark of mischief there, so like the one her brother got when his mind got going. She was sitting with her legs crossed and the one on top had been swinging a little throughout the conversation, doing so even more as the talk had progressed.  It was almost like watching the gears turning in her brain, you thought to yourself, and when it suddenly stopped, you knew what she was about to say before it even came out of her mouth.  

“I’ll be back,” she said as she rose from the table.  She gave your shoulder a squeeze as she passed behind your chair and you knew you had finally earned a passing grade from Chris’s big sister.  

The remaining four of you turned into a bunch of giggling kids, for a moment, when Chris stretched his arms above his head and looked at you, stating, “If you get a flower delivery from Ryan soon you’ll know why.”  Apparently, you hadn’t been as discreet in your conversation as you’d hoped to be. 

Drew smacked him on his side, “Chris!” causing him to swiftly lower his arms and rub his ribs.

“OW!” he whined.

Drew wasn’t buying it.  “I barely put any strength into it, ya big baby.” 

“I’m delicate!”

“Delicate, my ass! I’ve got something to make it up to you, though. Hang on a minute.”  She went to a small Red Sox cooler that you hadn’t noticed there before and came back with four bottles of beer of a brand you didn’t recognize.

She was digging around in her purse, when Chris exclaimed, “You brought Lunch?”

Drew gave him a wide, shit eating grin as she said, “You’re welcome.” She then began popping the tops off the long necks with the opener she'd pulled out of her bag, handing them out as she went along.  

“Lunch?” you questioned, before reading the label when you received yours and realizing that was the name in blue on the simple white label of the beer bottle.

After clinking his bottle with Drew, Chris took a long sip then said, “I can’t believe you brought this.  You’re the best cousin ev-ah!”   

“Yes I am, and don’t you forget it!  I brought  _ some _ , these are a precious commodity.  Girls gotta keep a stash for herself, too, y’know. I went to Maine to visit some friends over the weekend and hit the brewery on the way home,” she explained.  “Your mom told me you were going to be here this year, I had to bring a treat for us.”

The beer was great, no doubt.  It had a distinct flavor, kind of citrusy and a bit of pine.  You loved it, enjoying the flavor immensely. “This stuff if awesome, Drew! I’ve never seen it in New York, do they sell it around here?”

“Eh, not really.  You can find it in parts of New England, but it’s few and far in between.” Drew answered, shaking her head. “The best place to get it is at the brewery itself, on tap or in bottles, but no cans cause they’re classy as fuck.”  There was no way to not laugh at the way she made that comment.  She had a way about her that was energetic, yet somehow very chill.  Drew was quite striking in appearance, too.  Dark hair, skin like alabaster, light green eyes that were almost catlike in their shape.  You could tell she was one of those girls that would look put together and at ease no matter where she was or how she was dressed. 

After taking a few more sips, you grew curious about the name of the beer and asked, “I gotta know, where did they come up with the name ‘Lunch?’”

Swallowing her own sip, Drew explained, “It’s named after a Finback whale that has been hanging out in the Gulf of Maine since at least the 1980’s.”

“The whale’s name is Lunch?” you asked, surprised and intrigued.

Drew had the reason all ready, “Yep, she got her name because her dorsal fin is almost gone and it looks like a shark took a bite out of it for a meal.”

“Aww, poor thing,” you said sadly, before adding, “Still, It’s an odd name for a whale, but I love it!”

Chris turned to look at you in disbelief.  “Wait, did you just say naming a whale ‘Lunch’ is odd?  Aren’t you the girl who had a betta fish named ‘Sushi?’” 

“Well, yeah, that was one fish, but I also had one named Howard once.  A nice, normal name.”

“Howard?  You think ‘Howard’ is a normal name for a fish?!?!”

“Hey, you leave Howie alone, may he rest in peace,” you quipped, making the sign of the cross on yourself.

Shaking his head as he rolled his eyes, Chris concluded, “You’re nuts!”

“Yeah I know, I know, and you love my ass for it,” you countered before taking a long sip of the beer.  

“That I do,” Chris agreed and, when you glanced his way, you saw that he was looking at you with his head slightly cocked to the side.  He had a closed lip smile on his face that was as warm as the expression you read in his eyes. 

Feeling a little uncomfortable, like maybe you'd made a poor choice of words, you reached out and took a handful of pretzels from a bowl that had been brought over while you were gone.  Shanna’s name was called out by someone at another table and she excused herself to go over to them, leaving you alone with Chris and Drew.

His cousin came to your rescue, “So, how did you guys meet?  Are you from around here, Nicole?”

“No, I’m, um, I’m from Long Island, actually.”  Why did you feel so nervous right now?   _ Well, you idiot, it’s because you said the “L” word in a way you probably shouldn’t have. _  It was a joke, but it made you feel like you'd crossed a line, somehow. Not that you were expecting, or wanted, a decree, but a snappy comeback, something,  _ ANYTHING, _ other than the silence and look he'd given you instead. 

When Chris took your hand not holding a beer into his own, you realized that your fingers had been nervously drumming on the table top like you were sending a message in morse code. 

“She was the winner of that Omaze contest I held,” he confessed to his cousin, after placing a delicate kiss onto your knuckles. 

“Holy shit, for real?” she said excitedly.  “I had no idea! Tell me the story, how did this happen?”

For the next ten minutes or so, you and and Chris took turns filling her in on that first whirlwind weekend and the time up until now.  The look on her face was priceless and it felt so incredible to be able to talk to someone outside of your circle openly about your relationship.  She asked questions, laughed, empathized with the lengthy separations, and gushed over the romantic moments.  She paused the story to get another round of beers and Chris moved his chair closer to yours while she was gone.  As the beer did its thing, you both got a bit mushy and Chris ended up with his arm around your shoulders by the end.

“Wait a minute!” Drew proclaimed, "you guys owe me a HUGE thank you right now, give it up bitches,” she said, palms up and waving her fingers back and forth.

“Whadd’ya mean?” he asked, surprised.

Leaning forward and resting an arm on the table, she said, “I mean, if it wasn’t for me, you guys might never have met.  Think about it, Chris.  Who gave you the idea to reach out to Omaze when you said you wanted to do something for Christopher's Haven?” She used her hands to talk just as much as Chris did and her index finger was moving around like it was a magic wand as she used it to emphasize her point.  

As realization dawned on him, she straightened up then fell back into her chair, nodding her head dramatically and using her fingers to comically point towards herself.  

She looked your way and explained, “I work for the Red Sox, in their community outreach department.  It’s my job to find and coordinate charity efforts in the area for the players.  I’ve worked with Omaze before so when chucklehead over here reached out for an idea to help Christopher’s Haven I was all over it.”

“You work for the Boston Red Sox? That’s awesome!”  

“Especially when you’re a fan like I’ve been for my entire life,” she agreed, nodding enthusiastically. “I can’t believe I get paid to work my dream job.  They’re on the All Star break right now so I get a little extra time off for the holiday.”

You talked about what she did, for a little while, and you told her about some of the charity drives you’d run at your office building, although it was small beans compared to what she did.  Still, it was a good bonding point and you both loved to help where you could. The more you all spoke about her job and sports in general, of which you knew very little overall, the more you realized if she hadn't been his cousin, this girl would be perfect for Chris.  She was a guy’s girl, totally at ease talking stats and players.  You, on the other hand, knew only enough to get by, which, luckily, was enough to keep up in the conversation. 

At the end, she teased, “If you guys ever end up married and having a kid, you know I’ll be expecting a namesake, right?”

You almost choked on a pretzel and had to take a big swig of beer to wash it down, punching your chest a few times.  That was definitely not a line you'd expected to hear.  

Chris was laughing at you, even as he was checking to make sure you were okay.  When you could speak again, you apologized and decided to just go with it. 

“We’ll have to keep that in mind,  _ IF _ that time ever comes,” you quickly added.  “So, is ‘Drew’ short for something?”

“Drusella,” she stated matter-of-factly before casually popping a pretzel into her mouth. 

“Really?” you asked, surprised and stalling as you tried to figure out a polite way of saying it would stay a nickname like hers.  

Thankfully, you didn’t have to wait long before she let you off the hook.  “Nah,” she said, followed by a snicker, “I’m just fuckin’ with you.  It’s just Drew.  My parents thought I was going to be a boy and they had Andrew picked out after my grandfather.  They were quite surprised when I had no penis.”

“She somehow managed to grow the balls, though,” Chris teased, earning another smack from her. 

“I didn’t have to grow them, I stole them from you.  It’s not like you were using them anyway.” 

“Hey!” he said, pointing at her in warning. 

You were thoroughly amused and enjoying the hell out of this.  Deciding to get in on the action you said quickly,“You were smart to leave the micro penis behind.  There’s not much use for those.”

“HEY!!” Chris declared, as he turned that finger towards you and busted out in laughter, too.  

Drew held up her hand and, without even having to ask, you fist bumped her.  Round one went to the girls!

The beer had loosened you up and apparently you were both feeling a little giddy from the alcohol and the little not-so-secret rendezvous earlier.  You couldn’t recall the last time you'd felt so comfortable around, for lack of a better word, strangers.  Meeting boyfriend’s families didn’t always go this smooth.  Chris leaned in and gave you a kiss, which ended with you giggling against his lips.  God, you really were crazy about this guy.  

Shanna returned to the table and, as she was about to sit down, a Frisbee flew past her ear.  She turned sharply in surprise, and found Dodger inbound, coming in hot.  Knocked off kilter, Shanna and her drink went flying, spilling out all over the skirt of your dress.  

“Oh my god!! I’m so sorry, Nicole,” Shanna said, hurriedly gathering napkins and coming over to help wipe up your dress and the table.  Chris was apologizing himself, but it was out of guilt for Dodger.  He shouted  over to the kids to be more careful.

“It’s ok, it was an accident,” you assured as you stood up to let some of the liquid drip off. 

“I’m sure there’s something inside that will fit you, I’m so sorry-”

Putting an hand on her arm, you consoled her, “It’s fine, really!  I have a change of clothes that I brought in case I needed to put on shorts.  It’s all good, really, don’t worry about it.”  You excused yourself and went inside to change into your denim shorts and white, cut out shoulder top with the flag printed on it.  You grabbed the six bubble wands you had picked up for the kids from your backpack and returned to the party with them in hand.  

While you had been changing, Chris and Drew had gotten up and were standing with several men in his age group, who looked too much like him to not be related.  Shanna was now by her mom.  The alcohol was beginning to affect Chris’s volume control and you could hear him quite clearly saying, “Gronk.”  Knowing he was in his element, you decided to avoid the football fanatics and made your way towards the children to deliver the wants.  

Stella and her young cousins were all playing on and near the bouncer and you loved the way their eyes lit up when they saw you coming their way.  There were only five of them there so you opened the extra tube and had a little fun with them; you were a sucker for these things, always had been.  

Scott came over as you were showing them the trick to making super huge bubbles and stood beside you, arms crossed and hip cocked, biding his time.  

“Wow, Nicole, I didn’t realize how talented you were at blowing….bubbles.”

You weren’t going to let him get to you.  Fuck that.  Two could play at his games. While you let the girls play, you answered back with as straight and innocent a face as you could muster,   “Years of practice, Scott.  If you’re out of practice I could give you some pointers.”

“Nah, I think I’ve got it down pretty good.”  The girls couldn’t get the bubbles big like yours and were asking you for another.  He watched you carefully blow out a gigantic bubble once again.  You glanced his way after and smiled when he nodded and said, “Impressive.”

“Thanks, it’s all about the technique.  You’ve got to keep your lips supple, your tongue flat and the throat open, and blow gently.”

“Huh. So blowing hard and fast is no good?”

“Well, it’s fine for the most part.  It gets the job done faster, but it’s just not as satisfying. I prefer slow and steady for a bigger payoff.  But, to each his own.  Either way, it’s going to explode, if you’re lucky it doesn’t happen on you.  It’s a pain in the butt to get out of fabric.”

He tried to choke back a laugh and failed.  What came out was a high pitched cackle that made everyone nearby look towards him.  

“Are you alright, Scott?  What’s so funny?” you asked, smiling at him sweetly.  You were now waving your long wand back and forth, creating a multitude of bubbles that the girls were jumping around trying to catch.   You turned away from him to look at Stella and he took advantage of your blind spot, pinching your waist again like he had earlier and making you jump.  Luckily, your bubble bottle was pointing away from you and when a little spilled out it went onto the grass instead of your shorts.  He would have paid dearly if it hadn’t, you weren’t kidding about it being hard to take out of clothes.   

You screwed the cap back onto your bottle and placed it beside the bouncer, telling the kids to have fun with it.  As you walked back towards the adults, the smell of the charcoal grill made your stomach growl; that smell was one of your favorite things about summer.  There was one good sized charcoal bbq and two large, stainless steel gas grills are warming up.  Dinner would be served soon, thank god!

Lisa called your name as you got near her table and you walked over to her.  

“You changed?  I love this top!” Lisa complimented, holding your hands out to the side as she checked it out.  

“Thank you!  And yeah, I had a little mishap with a spilled drink. Luckily, I came prepared.”

“My fault, all my fault,” Shanna insisted, raising her hand and looking guilty.  

You took her hand in yours and gave it a squeeze, “Accident, no one’s fault, and hey- it gave me an excuse to wear something a little more comfy,” you insisted with a smile.

His mom introduced you to some of the family that you'd missed earlier.  One of his uncles was familiar with Long Island, having lived there for a while for work when he was younger, and you got to talking for a bit.  A cold bottle to the exposed skin of your shoulder, thanks to the cutouts in the shirt, made you jump in surprise. You immediately started saying, “Scott,” but then saw it was Chris who was the culprit.  

“Fair warning, both of my sons are pain in the asses, it’s not just Scott,” you heard Lisa say before she stuck her tongue out in retaliation of Chris’s.

You snuck the bottle out of his hand and took a long draw from it, handing it back with a smart-assed, “Thank you!”  

“Want me to get you one?  I think there’s still some left in the case.”  There was a difference in his speech and you could tell the beer taking hold a little more. 

“No, honey, I’m good. I need to stop the alcohol if I’m going to be okay to drive later.”

Overhearing your comment, Lisa offered, “You know, sweetheart, you guys can always stay here tonight.  Enjoy yourself.”

“Aww, thank you, that’s very kind.  I have a long drive home tomorrow, there’s no way I want to overdo it and be hungover for that.”  You also didn’t want to lose valuable alone time with Chris.  

You both remained at the table conversing and soon the food was ready.  You made a plate with probably  _ way  _ more than you should have, but you were ravenous: a hotdog, a burger with a thick slice of cheddar from a tray on the condiments table, a bbq drumstick, baked beans that the neighbor had brought and an ear of corn.  After getting yourself a cup of soda, you made your way back to the table to sit and devour the feast. 

As Drew sat down, she pointed to you and Chris with her fork and instructed, “Make sure you leave some room for dessert.  I made 'Capcakes',” as she elbowed Chris beside her.  

“My cousin,” he said before taking a bite of burger, “is an amazing baker, like just totally badass!  She can make flavors you’ve never  _ dreamed _ of!  You should see the creations she comes up with.  We always thought she would end up owning her own shop, but the Sox job is  _ way _ cooler.”  His accent was coming in stronger and hearing it was causing you to hide your grin by eating. 

“It’s the best of the both worlds, really,” she insisted, “I make special cupcakes for a lot of the events anyway.  Especially if there are kids.”

“That’s so cool! I’ll do my best.”  You looked at your plate and lamented, “I’m never going to burn off these calories, but I can’t stop eating, it’s all so good.” Shrugging your shoulders, you took another bite, doing a little happy dance in your chair.  You’d just have to find a way to get some extra exercise.  Hopefully it would involve Chris, hopefully naked.  

Almost as if he'd read your mind, Chris leaned in close and whispered, “I know a great way to burn them off.  There’s a shed on the side of the house where no one will be looking for us.”  When you looked at him in surprise, he simply wiggled his brows, the steady stream of beers making him very playful.

With a shake of your head, you told him, “You’re incorrigible,” before booping him on the nose with your finger. “And don’t even _ think  _ about trying any of that stuff if you go to my parent’s house.”

“Oh no?”

“No.  Not unless you want to risk a Beretta to the ballsack.  I love your kibbles and bits too much to see them blown away.”  

Chris had to stop eating, he dropped his head to the table in laughter and Drew caught the bug.  

“As far as my dad is concerned, I’m a virgin, I’ll marry as a virgin, I’ll still be one even after I have a child and, if he catches you trying to destroy that image, he will turn you from a rooster to a hen in one shot.  No one messes with his baby girl.” You paused, then gave him a menacing look and repeated slowly, “No one.”

Shanna came back to the table, being extra careful to not spill anything on you as she passed behind you.  Scott approached and as he walked behind you, he teased, “Well, my, my, my, if it isn’t ‘Bubbles.’”

You flipped him off as you took a bite of your burger.  Looking around, you saw that everyone had pretty much taken a seat now.  The bounce house was empty for the first time in a long time, even the adults had been using it, and Carly had taken a seat by Lisa with Ryan and the kids.  

Dodger had been waiting patiently, having followed Chris as soon as he'd seen him with a plate.  Chris had taken a couple of extra burger patties and was now breaking them into chunks and feeding the little beggar beside his chair.  

Laughter and delicious food seemed to be a running theme today and you were thoroughly enjoying both.  Scott and Drew were hilarious together, she took zero shit from him.  She also loved to rib at Chris, teasing him for wearing the same shirt she had seen him in the last four times they’d been together.  

Your ears perked up when Scott asked if she was still trying to get Chris to set her up with Sebastian Stan.  

“Nah, I still think he’s cute, but he’s not really in my top five anymore.  Besides, you know I wouldn’t ever really put Chris up to something like that.” She then gave her list, the top name being Tom Hardy, which you most definitely approved of.  Scott gave him list next and then asked for yours.  You looked around at them all, frozen for a moment.    

“Um, you know what - I don’t really have a top five anymore.  I already scored my number one, and I mean, look at him!” you said, gesturing towards Chris. “What more do I need?” you finished saying to the growing chorus of comically disgusted groans.  

Shanna cut in, then, saying how she thought how cute some of his co-stars were and naming her top five.  As she ticked them off, you felt yourself getting nervous, your stomach starting to coil, because it was only a matter of time before someone asked Chris for his list and you suddenly realized it was the last thing you wanted to know. 

This had always been a fun game of “What if?” when it had been you and your friends.  Something you had never considered before was how different the game was when you were dating an actor.  Most people’s lists contained celebrities and the likelihood of meeting them was small.  With Chris, the people on his list were people he could come into contact with at any time, work with, have a love scene with...  The thought of someone on that list becoming a co-star at some point had your stomach in knots.  Everyone has heard the old, “ _ On screen kisses aren’t fun, love scenes are so calculated _ ,” blah, blah, blah.  At the end of the day, it didn’t matter.  Those girls were kissing your boyfriend.  Those girls could be partially naked with your boyfriend, his hands on their perfect bodies.  You were jealous as fuck and it didn’t feel good.  Deep down, you knew this was something you were going to have to work on if this relationship was going to work. 

Of course, it was Scott who had to ask the dreaded question.  You could have smacked him!

“What about you, Chris? Unless you’d rather not say, given the present company.”

_ What!! _  That little shit, he must’ve read your face and still decided to push forward.  You kept your eyes down, not wanting him to see the daggers that so desperately wanted to fly his way.  

Chris sipped his beer, then sat back, holding onto the bottle and peeling the label with the edge of his fingernail.  “Nah, man.  I’m game, I’m game.”  He looked skyward and let out a long sigh, then raised his hand and started holding up a finger with each name: “Maggie Smith, Martha Stewart, Hillary Clinton, Betty White, and  _ maybe _ Angela Lansbury.  I’m sure she could teach me a thing or two.” 

While he counted off, the table sat and stared at him in shock, your spirits lifting as a smile overtook your face.  You had a feeling he had also read your face and had known better than to give you anything to worry about.  He took your hand and held it for a moment as he finished his beer, putting it down on the table as he winked at you.  The love you felt for him at that moment warmed your entire body.  Then the last name sparked a memory.  

“Hey! I should’ve known you had a thing for Angela Lansbury after you said her name in the park that night when we-” You stopped, suddenly, realizing you had spoken a bit loudly and that whole the table was listening with rapt attention. “Um, when we went for a walk that night,” you finished, sounding very proper and innocent.

“Is that what we’re calling it these days?  Taking a walk?” Scott asked, his chin resting in his hand as he watched you coyly.

“I’ll have you know my virtue was intact when he took me back to my hotel room that night, fuck you very much,” you stated, smartly.

Scott sat back, throwing his hands wide open.  “No thanks, I don’t do those vagina-thingies.”

“SCOTT!!” Shanna chastised, kicking at his chair with one of her feet.  “Behave yourself!”

Chris was roaring with laughter.  When he could speak again he chimed in, “Broth-ah, I support your decisions, you know I do, but I happen to love those vagina-thingies.  You don’t know what your missing!”

The girls at the table, yourself included, let out loud groans and beseeched the boys, for the love of God, to stop talking about the “thingies”

After dinner, Milo and Ethan came over to the table and asked Chris to play in a NERF war with them and some of the other kids.  You got up and walked over to the front yard with them, the better to avoid the sitting guests, and eventually joined in when a weapon became available.  Dodger was running around with the boys, too, enjoying the action.  Playing NERF wars was something you did a few times per year with Alex and Maddie in their yard and you had some amazing aim.  Unfortunately, several of these kids had even better aim and your cockiness was blown out of the water as you had to dart behind a tree to avoid getting pelted by the boys, including Chris.   It was then that you learned first hand that Boston boys didn’t fuck around.  It was also then that you warned Scott he was going to get a beat down when he snuck up on your side and shot you in the ass.  Fortunately, you had enough padding back there that it wasn’t too painful.  

Throughout the game Chris’s filter was getting looser and he was cursing up a storm every time he got shot.  Because there were some smaller kids playing he kept getting reprimanded by you and some of the others, and it became a game in and of itself to turn a “fuck” to a “fu-llow me,” and other words into spinoffs.

Following a relentless assault, you took cover behind a large air conditioning unit.  As you waited for your opening, you felt small objects hitting your skin.  At first, you thought it was insects, but they hadn’t been an issue today, Lisa must have bug bombed the area prior to the party.  The sensation got stronger and you looked up, wondering if it was possible for acorns to be falling off the trees this early.  When you felt it again, and harder, you looked around curiously, trying to figure out the source. One more hit and you followed the trail of it and realized it was an piece of pretzel.  Then you saw that scattered all around you were broken pretzel pieces.  

“What the?” you said out loud and then heard the suppressed laughter.  You turned your head to follow the sound and found Scott standing behind a hedge.  “You little fuck,” you muttered as you spun around and stood, pointing at him and shouting, “That’s it! You’re ass is grass, dipshit!” 

Scott squealed at a pitch both louder and higher than the ones you’d heard from Stella and ran out from behind the bush and into the backyard with you on the chase.  You weren’t really mad, it was more a matter of not letting him think he could get away with constant pranks without consequence.  You were no one’s push over, if your own brothers paid the price, he sure as shit would, too.  

He darted behind a tree, grinning like a fool, and you played chicken a little as he dodged from one side to the other, then darted out from behind it and made a beeline for the bounce house. He kicked off his sandals and dove inside.   You stood outside of it, not sure what to do, until the bastard turned around and shook his ass at you, teasing like a child.  There were people watching, as his antics had caught some attention, but you were too far gone by that point.  You looked again at the weight limit sign to make sure it would hold a couple of full sized adults, kicked off your flip flops and climbed inside. 

Apparently, he wasn’t expecting it, but he was getting a huge kick out of it from the shit eating grin plastered across his face.  With unsteady legs, you made your way towards him, he had backed into the far corner and, as soon as you got close, he bounced to the other side.  You followed suit, laughing and feeling like a kid as you both jumped around after each other.  His mother had a distinct laugh and you could hear it clearly coming from her area of the yard.  It had been a long time since you had been inside one of these things and you didn’t remember it being this tough a workout on the thighs.  Pretty soon, you both collapsed, laying down beside each other and clutching your stomachs as you wiped tears from your eyes.  You did manage to smack him as you rested and he admitted that he deserved it.  

He sat up and said, “You know what, Nikki, I like you,” meeting your eyes as you sat up yourself and turned your head towards him.

“I like you, too, Scotty.” You smiled, noting the sudden change in his tone.

He was more serious as he added, “You’re good for Chris, I think you’re what he’s been needing for a long time.  I really hope things work out for you guys.”

You had to look away momentarily, a little misty eyed, and not quite sure how to proceed from here.  You finally grew a pair and looked back at him.  “I hope so, too.”

“Truce?” he asked, his brow raised and hand out to shake yours, making him look so much like his big brother. 

“Truce,” you agreed, accepting the hand and letting yourself get pulled in for a hug.  You gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and heard Chris clearing his throat from the opening of the bouncer.

Turning quickly towards him, you smiled shyly as he accused, “Oh, I see how it is.  Leave your side for a minute and already you’re shacking up with my brother.”

You chuckled and waved over your shoulder towards Scott, “It doesn’t count, he’s gay!”

“Actually, I’m thinking about switching teams,” Scott said, tackling you and pretending to smooch all over your face as you lay helpless on your back, laughing so hard you could barely breath.  Chris climbed in and rescued you, elbowing his brother out of the way and out of the house.

He had just placed a kiss to your lips when a tiny voice was heard saying, “EWWWW! They’re kissing!!”  

“Sorry Stella,” you said sheepishly as you pushed yourself up and crawled to the exit.  “But one day you won’t think boys are so gross.”  When she was next to you, you added, “but no kissing until your at least 30, got it!”  She giggled, diving inside and immediately starting to jump, her cousin quickly joining her. 

You and Chris put your footwear back on then walked hand in hand back to the party.  Desserts were being placed on a long table where several carafes of, hopefully, coffee were waiting.  When you were near Lisa, you offered to help set up and she accepted, handing you stacks of disposable cups, napkins and utensils to place near everything.  You were able to chat a bit, explaining and apologizing, even as she waved it away, for what happened with Scott.  “If he wasn’t picking on you, then I’d be worried and telling you to be, too.”

Chris had gotten stopped by a neighbor to chat but joined you as the foil was being taken off some desserts, boxes of others being opened. You picked up plates and Drew came by, insisting you each tried one of her red, white and blue, “Cap-cakes”  and Chris plopped a giant cannoli on your plate without even asking if you wanted one.  “Ma, who brought these?” he asked excited as he took one for himself.  

“Jeff,” she said, before looking at you and adding, “Drew’s brother.  He stopped at Mike’s Pastry shop in Cambridge this morning.”

“He’s my new favorite cousin,” Chris professed loud enough for Drew to hear and flip him off.  “Wait until you try these, they will kick your New York cannoli’s ASS!”   The beers seemed to have finished catching up with him, his volume control knob appeared to have completely broken and everyone within ear shot looked your way.  You ushered him towards the table, your plate of desserts and cup of coffee in hand.  While trying to get him to lower his voice, as he continued cursing and talking about other things Boston did better, you warned him that you were going to start a swear jar for the kid’s college funds. 

The lack of filter and control over his volume proved cringe worthy when you tried eating the cannoli that he kept lifting off your plate and pushing towards your mouth.  The ones your mom bought were usually small and thin, maybe the size of a finger. You held this monstrosity in your hands, the thing was pornographically large, and you just couldn’t figure out a way to eat it delicately.  It was too wide to get into your mouth and a good four to five inches long.  The ends were covered in mini chocolate chips and you couldn’t resist the urge to lick some of them off with the cream first.  When you heard Chris tease, “Oh yeah, I like the way this is starting,” you nearly spit it out, just barely containing it in your mouth.  You wiped your lips with the back of your hand and shot him a dirty look, switching to the safer cupcake.  

Well, at least you thought it was safer.  

As soon as the cream got stuck to your lips and you licked it off, he started in again, earning him a slap to the thigh.  He grabbed you by the wrist, holding your hand just inches away from his crotch as he gave you a crazy sexy stare that gave you a flashback to earlier in the day and made your heart race.  Worried that someone would see, you pulled yourself from his grip and wagged your finger, chastising, “Bad boy.”  

“I can be,” he growled, stealing your cannoli and taking a big bite as you gave him a stern head shaking and asked, “What am I going to do with you?” 

“Anything you want, sweetheart.  Any. Thing. You. Want.”

Pointing your index finger at him, you playfully warned, “I’m holding you to that”

“Darlin’ you can hold me to anything.”  He was moving his brows so much it looked like they were doing the freakin’ wave.  “Eat your cannoli, will ya?” you said, laughing to yourself at the doofus you’d ended up with.  

His volume didn’t decrease much, but his topic of conversation got off of sexy and onto sports and defending his past actions against his siblings and Drew.  You sat back and enjoyed the show as they relentlessly brought up all the pranks, jokes, and traumatic things he had pulled on each of them.  Instead of defending himself, because he truly couldn’t most of the time, he laughed loudly, drumming his legs on the floor and clapping his hands with delight at the antics he was being accused of.  You were enjoying the hell out of learning these stories. 

It was just after 9pm and darkness had fallen, the yard was lighting up with fireflies. Spotlights around the edge of the yard had come on and there were lanterns on each of the tables for ambiance.  Fireworks were illegal in Massachusetts, just like in New York, but that didn’t stop people from getting their hands on them.  

Lisa got everyone’s attention and announced that the party was moving to the front yard for anyone who wanted to see the fireworks.  There was a house close by that always put on a wonderful showing and the first ones had just begun to appear.   

Some guests brought chairs, but most decided to just stand.  One of the guests had brought sparklers and kids, both young and old, were playing with them on the front lawn; writing their names in the air, twirling and relishing in their magic.  You and Chris were standing at the back of the crowd, his arm around you as you snuggled into his side.  Your phone lit up with a message and Chris watched over your shoulder as you played a video your mom had sent.  

“My family has a second house, up in the Catskills region of New York,” you explained.  “They usually spend the holiday there.  This is the view of the fireworks in the valley below our place.  They’re all sitting out on the adirondack chairs now watching them light up the sky.”

“It’s beautiful. Maybe we can join them next year.”

He kissed your shoulder, you could smell the beer on his breath.  Your heart heard those words and beat as fast as a hummingbird, your mind knew it was probably just the alcohol talking and he probably wasn’t really making plans that far in advance with you. Still, it would be damn nice if it came true.  You had an idea for a way to get him there, but this wasn’t the time or the place to bring it up just yet. Instead, you took advantage of the moment of privacy and his closeness and kissed him.  He responded immediately, holding you even closer and making out with you as the crowd watched the skies.

Once the display was over guests began to leave.  When it was down to just a small amount of family everyone went back to the yard and the cleanup began.  The leftover food had been thrown out in several large garbage cans near the porch but a few trays with odds and ends had been left on the side.  You looked over and saw Dodger chowing down.  “Like father, like son,” you said and, when Chris looked at you with an adorably puzzled expression, you pointed towards his dog.  “He’s a cheese thief, too!”

“Aw faaaahck!!” Chris cried out as he got up and chased Dodger away, dumping the contents of the tray into another can.  

“What’s wrong?” you asked when he returned a minute later, taken by surprise by his reaction.

“Dodger and cheese don’t mix well. You may not like him much by the morning.”

“Oookaay,” you said slowly, not quite sure what he meant by that and a little afraid to find out.

After finishing a few more desserts and hanging out a bit more with the remaining members of the family, it was getting to be time to leave.   People had continued to slowly filter out and only a handful still remained.  You and Chris walked hand in hand over to Lisa after saying goodbye to the rest of the family, saving the most important for last.  

“Thank you so much for having me here today, You have a wonderful family,” you said, after giving her a hug and a kiss.

“Pleasure was all mine. I’m so happy to finally get to meet you.  Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”

“Yep, all good.”

“Alright, then.  But I want you both back here tomorrow morning for breakfast.  I know my son probably doesn’t have anything more than beer and water in that fridge,” she said, smiling broadly as you nodded with a giggle, looking at Chris.

“It doesn’t matter what time, I’ll cook whenever you guys get here.  I know he’s probably going to sleep late and I’m sure you’ll want some time alone.”

“Thank you, Lisa, I appreciate that.  Are you sure it’s no trouble?”

“Of course not!  It’ll give me a chance to talk with you, today was too hectic to do it right. I’ll see you kids tomorrow.”  She gave you each one last hug and kiss and you called to Dodger.  Chris walked him around to the car along the outside of the house, while you ran inside the house to grab your things and then out the front door to your car.  When you got close, he was leaning against your car with barely contained smirk on his face.  

“Guess what?” he asked, bouncing on his heels.

“What?” you side eyed him as you pressed the button to unlock your car.

“Your car is an Escape.  You drive a fuckin’ Ford ‘ESCAPE’," he exclaimed, using his fingers for air quotes.  Standing next to where the model of the car was branded in silver letters, he pointed between it and himself saying, “Look!  It’s Escape,” did a little half assed soft shoe then pointed at himself , “with Chris Evans!” 

You opened back door and tossed your bag on the floor as you called Dodger over and helped him in.  “Now I’m escaping FROM Chris Evans, bye-bye!!”  you said with a flourish of your hand as you closed the door.

“Shit!! No you don’t!” he said, drunkenly running around to the passenger side where he quickly jumped in and clumsily fought with the seatbelt. You watched this all from the driver’s seat, enjoying the show and amused that he thought you would actually leave him behind.  

He watched as you pulled his address up on your navigation system, protesting that he could get you home just fine.  You didn’t trust it and didn’t feel like driving around in circles. It was dark, late, and you had no idea where you were.  

“Nicole, you just have to make a reft up there and then-"

“Make a 'reft?'  Uh-huh, good try. Face it, babe, your drunk as a skunk.”

“I am not!” he said indignantly, “I can’t be because dunks don’t strink,”

“Whaaa?” you asked, gripping the wheel as laughter overcame you, suddenly very happy you hadn’t started driving yet. 

“What I meant to say is. Skunks. Don’t. Drink. There, I said it. So it’s improbable that I could be drunk as one.”

“Improbable?”

“Yesh.”

After barking out a laugh, you decided to have a little fun. “Prove it. Say ‘She sells seashells by the seashore.’ It doesn’t have to be fast.”

He tried and failed miserably, just making a bunch of “sssshhh” sounds before laughing loudly. “You’re right, I’m drunk. Take me home…  _ country road…to the place… I belong-aaa-“ _

“Enough with the John Denver! I’m going, I’m going!” 

Per the navigation, it was going to take 12 minutes to get to Chris’s house.  You had to try hard to keep your composure as the man-child beside you used your dashboard for a drum set, danced in his seat and talked in an ever increasingly thick accent. 

You felt a finger tap your cheek and turned to find him sitting almost sideways in his seat.  

“Do you know how beautiful you are?  Like, how faaahkin beautiful you are, like not even your face, or your bah-dy, but I’m talkin’ bout beautiful in your fahkin soul.”  His hand slid down to your shoulder, then kept going south, “Y’know?  It’s just, you’re just, everything, y’know what I mean?  Am I making any shensh?”

Was he making any sense?  Did it matter if it made sense or not when drunken Chris was telling you these things?  No, it made no sense at all that someone would be thinking things like this about you, but you were going to live off this moment for a long time.  Dodger wanted to show you some love, too, and poked his head between the seats, giving you a lick on the cheek.  

“Hey!  Buddy, back off, she’s mine! And I can’t wait to get you home so  _ I _ can lick you all over.” Then the motherfucker had to break into song again, because apparently your car ride had turned into a musical. His hand reached your thigh, stroking the exposed skin where your shorts ended, “ _ and over again.  I wanna kiss you all over, till the night closes in-” _

Before he could finish his serenade, a sound like firecrackers rang out in the car.  You jumped in surprise, yelling out, “What the fuck was that?” and looked towards the backseat at Dodger, where the sound seemed to emanate from. 

A second later, you got your answer and you found yourself gagging and saying instead, “What the FUCK IS THAT SMELL?!?!”  ” 

You rolled down all the windows as another round of firecrackers went off.  Chris threw his hands up and summed it up with, “He eats the cheese, he cuts the cheese.  I warned ya!”  His shirt went up to his nose at that point and you followed his lead, driving with one hand and keeping your nose and mouth covered with the fabric with the other.  

“Jesus Christ, that’s just FOWL!  Dodger, baby, are you okay?” You looked over your shoulder, for a moment, then had to stick your head out the window for a gulp of air as the smell grew stronger.  “Chris, can’t you help him?  Get his ass pointed towards the window or something?”

He tried but Dodger evaded him.  A glance at the navigation showed five more minutes until you reached your destination.  

You made it in two.

Your car flew up the driveway like it had wings and you jumped out of the car almost the second you put it in park.  Opening the backdoor, you got Dodger out and let him run onto the grass.  There was no way you were going to leave the windows closed tonight, no matter how strong your instinct to lock the car up tight was. That stank had to get out of there.  It seemed safe enough here, so you lowered them half way and locked the car, meeting Chris by the front door with the dog.  

You all walked straight to the porch and sat outside while Dodger ate some grass and took care of his business.  Chris had gone from lothario to sleepyhead, his eyelids drooping as he sat beside you.  

“Why don’t you go inside, I’ll take care of the pupper.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course! Just give me the code and I’ll lock up when we go inside.”  He did as you asked, giving you a sloppy smooch before leaving you beneath the stars with his baby.  Despite needing to sit with your face covered, again, you at least got to enjoy the view of the sky.  The stars were shining and there were non-stinky fireworks here and there to help pass the time.  

When Dodger finally came over and plopped his head in your lap, you knew he was ready to retreat inside. You stroked his head, scratching his ears a bit for comfort as you told him what a good boy he was and how sorry you were for his tummy trouble.  You hugged his solid body, giving him a kiss as you rested your head on his. “Feeling better?” you asked and when his tail started wagging and he moved to lick your face you knew it was better, at least for now. You gave him a kiss in return.  “C’mon, baby, let’s go to bed,” 

You lead him into the house and he waited for you to lock up before walking with you to the bedroom.

Chris was out cold, which you kind of expected.  You took a long, hot shower and then crawled into bed.  You had a special nighty that you'd planned on wearing tonight as a surprise, but left it folded on top of your bag, deciding to not wear anything, relishing in the feel of the soft sheets and the warmth of Chris’s body heat. 

You found out, the hard way, that when Chris went to bed drunk, he snored like a damn chainsaw.  Between the loud noises coming out of Chris and the lingering smells coming out of his dog, you slept with your nose stuffed into the bedsheets and your back turned to Chris.  Still, you had to have your body touching him in some way, it was like a magnet, so you hooked your foot over his ankle, resting your calf across his, and relaxed yourself until sleep took you away.  

Dodger’s whining woke you in the middle of the night.  A look at your phone showed it was just after four am.  Chris was still comatose, so you grabbed the nighty off your bag and pulled it on as you walked Dodger to the backyard again.  This time, you stayed on the porch as you waited for him.  It was almost twenty minutes later when you returned to the room with him. 

Chris had awakened, groggily saying your name when you came near the bed.  “You let him out for me?”

“Of course, I think he’s finally feeling better,” you said, entering the embrace of Chris’s open arms as he pulled you in close to his body.  Now you finally got the snuggle you were longing for.   

“You’re the best, Nic,” he said, kissing your nose as he turned onto his side towards you, enveloping your body and giving you the warmth and safety you needed to head back into blissful dreamland until the morning. 

Perhaps this wasn’t the romantic, sexy ending to the night that you had been planning for your last night in Boston, but that was okay. You couldn’t get more real than the way it had gone, and real was good. These were the kinds of nights you could look back upon, years from now, and laugh about because they were memorable. This was somehow better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration for this chapter was "Nothing Holding Me Back," by Shawn Mendes.  
> Mentioned are "Take Me Home" by John Denver and "Kiss you all over" by Exile


	35. Reminiscing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole spends 7/5 with Chris and his family, learning stories of their past, and gets a surprise from Chris before returning to New York.

A cold, wet tickle along the bottom and side of your foot startled you awake.  You had rolled away from Chris, at some point, and your left foot had escaped out of the bottom of the bedsheets.  When you lifted your head off the pillow to try to make sense of what was going on, you spotted that long, pink tongue panting and ready to take another swipe. Dodger, it seemed, had a bit of a foot fetish.  

“Dodger, no!” you said in a loud whisper, promptly pulling your foot back under the safety of the covers.  Chris began to stir and came fully awake when the dog switched to  _ his _ foot. 

“Hey!” Chris called out as Dodger leapt in a circle at the foot of the bed, a few times, and “woofed” at his daddy.  “Alright, buddy, alright, I’m comin’.” 

“Sorry if he woke you, babe,”  he said, turning to give you a quick kiss and apologetic eyes before climbing out the bed.

As he walked across the room, toward the robe that was hanging on the back of his bedroom door, you unashamedly checked him out from head to toe.  He had slept in the nude and now  _ all  _ of those taut muscles were on display, flexing and glorious, as that booty sauntered after the eager pup. Fuck; that man gave you tingles in your naughty bits without even trying.  You decided to take the opportunity of his absence to use the bathroom and came out just as Chris came back in. Lucky bastard only had to wait briefly for the dog to do his business, unlike your middle of the night escapades with Dodger.

Chris reached the bed first and stretched out, patting the mattress for you to join him.  Even scruffy, with hair sticking up all over the place, he was hunky and you felt your heart swell as he  watched you, with an adorable smile, as you approached the bed.

“Like what you see, Evans?” you said, giving a little spin before sashaying the few remaining steps.

“If you mean the sexy lingerie, then yes.  I most definitely like what I see.”

“Only the best for my man,” you jested as you came back to bed, delighted at his description of the bright red, thigh length nightshirt.  It had PATRIOTS written across your chest in dark blue, below the v-neck, and also on the sleeves that came down to your biceps. Sexy indeed.  You knew what your man liked, alright. 

Your head never even had a chance to touch the pillow.  As soon as you were within grabbing distance, you got pulled into his warm, strong embrace and stretched your body alongside his.  “You’re the best, you know that?” he said, nuzzling his nose against yours. You said nothing, unsure what had prompted the statement, and just closed your eyes, relishing the moment. 

He waited until you opened your eyes then added in a more serious tone, “I’m sorry I got so drunk last night.  I hope you don’t think I’m some dickhead alcoholic.”

“Stop! Of course I don’t think that, Chris. You were having a good time, you didn’t have to drive, no harm done.”

“I had no intention of passing out on you.  I was actually planning on getting you home and rockin’ your world,” he said with a growl, playfully pretending to bite your neck as he gripped your ass.  You giggled and pushed him off to stop the tickling sensation.

“There was no way in hell that was gonna happen, between the booze and fart bombing dog, it just wasn’t our night.  I can’t believe I made it the whole night in here with you snoring and him stinking up the place. I thought for sure I’d end up sleeping on the couch at some point.”

“You took him out for me last night, didn’t you?” he asked, his eyes looking up as if trying to remember if that was real or a dream.

“Yeah, he had one more episode, but he seems fine now,” you assessed, looking over Chris’s shoulder towards the area where Dodger was now resting. 

“I owe you.  And I thank you, both for taking care of him and for this,” he said, running his hands down along the curves of your body.  

“Mmm, that feels nice,” you said, releasing a sigh as he palmed your breast, stroking over the erect nipple through the fabric.  

“That’s a good thing, you deserve a reward for being such a good girlfriend. How does this feel?”  Chris ran his hand over your stomach and down between your legs. He stroked you expertly, watching your face, listening to your reactions and adjusting his maneuvers accordingly.  Morning breath be damned, you decided, as the pleasure grew stronger, you just had to kiss him. Hot, hungry kisses were exchanged as he grasped and squeezed your breasts, finally reaching down to pull the fabric up to your neck, exposing your soft flesh.  Chris immediately latched onto a nipple, amplifying your arousal. In no time at all, you were writhing and moaning, letting your climax course through your body as you gripped his back with one hand and braced your other against the headboard until it was over. 

“Remind me to dog sit for you every chance I get,” you joked, once your breathing steadied, “but not after he’s had cheese.”  You took Chris’s chin into your hand, staring him in the eyes, menacingly, “He is never to eat cheese again.”

“Believe me, I know it.” he assured, cracking a smile at you before pulling his chin away abruptly and pretending he was about to bite your hand.  You jerked back in surprise, a delighted yelp escaping you as he climbed out of bed to wash and went to the bathroom. You got out as well, pulling your “lingerie” back on and went to clean up once he emerged.  

When you came out shortly after, he was sitting in bed with his phone in hand.  “Hey Nic, are you busy next weekend? The 14th?”

“I don’t think so. I know this weekend I am, but that one should be clear.”  You pulled your phone off the charger, which you’d plugged in when you'd let Dodger out earlier that morning, and told him you’d check as you sat down on the bed with your back against the headboard.  

“Busy, huh?  Whatcha doing this weekend?”

“Not you,” you said, putting on a sad face, bringing out that beautiful laughter.  “If you must know, I’m taking the kids to see Spider-Man: Homecoming and I can’t wait!  I hear Captain America has some cameos in it,” you said, raising one brow at him. 

“They’re not very good, but yeah, I heard that, too.”

“I, for one, can’t wait to see you on the big screen.”  You leaned over and kissed him. 

When it ended he asked,  “Think you could spend the weekend in New York City with me?”

You were stunned, a broad smile taking over your face as you looked his way.  “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.  I have a meeting that Friday afternoon and I have no place to be until Monday.  Whaddya say, wanna shack up with me in a hotel for a couple of nights?”

“Are you kidding me?  Of course!!” You did a little happy wiggle dance and leaned over to give him a quick kiss.  “What kind of meeting is it?”

“A project I’m hoping to nail down.  I don’t want to tell you about it yet, don’t want to jinx it, but, if it works out, I think you’ll be extremely happy.”

Your curiosity was peaked, but you knew he wasn’t going to spill anything. Marvel had trained him well to be tight lipped. 

Chris looked over to your phone app and asked, “Do you wanna coordinate our calendars for the next month, see if we can sneak in any other time together?  

Though this was an unexpected conversation, it was one you’d kind of been praying for. You had been holding back from making plans, partly because his schedule was so erratic, but also because you were a chicken shit who was afraid to take initiative. Even now, you tried to rein in your excitement.

“That sounds like a plan.”  Trying to keep the edge of disappointment from your voie you asked,    
“Still going to Scotland this month?”

His face dropped a little and he said, “Yeah, I leave late on the 17th.”

“When do you get back?” 

“Sometime on August 8, I think in the early afternoon.”

Now it was your face that dropped. You knew it was only a couple of weeks, but hearing August when it was just the beginning of July seemed like forever. 

“Then I leave for Atlanta again by the 14th,” he said, looking back down at the calendar on his phone. 

“Any chance I can see you between then?”

He looked up quickly, obviously surprised that you’d even have the question. 

“Of course, I’m gonna see you in between!  Do you really think I could stay away from you that long?” he said, reaching over and poking your waist, making you squirm away before he could tickle you more. 

“Hey, wait a second, I think that’s the weekend when-” you stopped talking, poking your tongue between your teeth in concentration for a moment as you looked something up on Google.  “YES! The Perseids Meteor Shower is the weekend when you’ll be home.”

“Oh, that’s right!” the space nut confirmed excitedly, already pulling up NASA on his Twitter app. 

“Do you think you could come to upstate New York that weekend?  My family has a house in the Catskills, top of a hill, nice dark skies. We could meet there.  I’ll make sure we get it to ourselves.”

“I think I could make that work.  Okay for Dodger to come?”

“As long as he doesn’t get into any cheese then absolutely.”

He started scrolling again and stopped to show you a post about the solar eclipse happening at the end of August.

“I’ll be watching it in Charleston with Dani, it’s supposed to be the full eclipse there.”

“So fuckin’ jealous.  I’ll be in Atlanta, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be a full eclipse there.  If I’m not filming that day or can work around it, maybe I can meet you?” he questioned with a raise of his brow.  “If Dani wouldn’t mind, I mean.”

“Trust me, neither of us would mind.  I’ll keep my fingers crossed for it.”

His phone chimed with a text message.  It was from Scott and the phone continued to receive message after message with gifs of people humping rocks and doing silly dances.  Chris had a special ringtone for him and the chorus of the song from Mary Poppins, “Super-Cali-Fragil-istic-Expi-Ali-Docious,” kept sounding over and over, causing you and Chris to roll your eyes when they wouldn’t stop.  

Chris groaned and let his head drop back.  “And now you know why he has this ringtone.”

“Because he’s on crack?” you guessed.

“No.”

“Because he’s a great speller?”

“No.”

“Because he has a secret wish to be a British nanny, or a secret kink for chimney sweeps?”

“No and maybe.”

“Because he lives in a fantasy world?”

“That one is very true, but no.  He has this because-” Chris was interrupted by yet another gif before finishing- “he never fahking stops!”

Finally, a message asking if they could expect you soon for breakfast because they were all hungry and Lisa was holding the food hostage. 

“Guess we should get going,” you said, laughing at gifs that continued coming in and the song that would probably be stuck in your head for days.

“Probably, the sooner we finish there, the sooner we can get back here and be alone,” he said with a salacious wiggle of his brows.  You went to smack him, but he jumped out of bed and sniffed his pits. “I need a shower before we head out.”

“I’ll grab my things from your bathroom and use the one in the hall, save some time.”

Twenty minutes later, you were both ready to go.  You were dressed in a pair of black shorts and a purple tank top.  You hair was still looking good from the yesterday, so you just tamed some of the frizz and put on just a little bit of makeup to make yourself presentable.  You added the bracelets Chris had given you and were good to go, after slipping on a pair of black sandals. Chris was wearing black track pants and a soft, grey t-shirt that cling to his shoulders, but hung loosely around the rest of his torso.  When he was buffed up like this, it must be impossible to find a shirt that fits perfect; most of them were not meant for Dorito-shaped men.

You went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water for the road and found Chris smiling at you as you closed the door, shaking your head and muttering, “Nothing but beer and water for fuck’s sake.”

“What, you think a man needs anything other than those two staples?” he joked.

“I can’t believe you’ve been home for a couple of days already and haven’t bothered buying so much as a quart of milk.”

“I’ve been home, but I’ve barely been here.  When it’s just for a few days, I come here to check on things and then usually spend the rest of my time at mom’s house.  Half the time I just stay in my old room.” He crossed the distance between you and pulled you close. “And thanks to you, now I have something to keep in the spank bank when I’m there.”

“Ugh, gross!  I don’t want to here about how you yankie your wankie at your mom’s place.”

“You haven’t minded talking about it before!”

“In general, no.  But I have to face this woman today and try to not blush remembering what we did in her house yesterday.  I don’t need more reason to be embarrassed.”

“Fine, we’ll stay out of my bedroom today.”

“Thank you.”

“I have a basement to show you, if you’re interested.”

You punched him in the arm and he chased you to the front door, only stopping because Dodger was barking up a storm and jumping between you both. 

“My hero!” you said sweetly, petting him and giving him a smooch before grabbing your purse and following Chris outside. 

Chris drove this time and you felt a little bit of thrill as you settled in the passenger seat and recalled the last time you had been in this car.  He had gotten so worked up that he’d pulled over and nearly jumped over the seat to kiss you; your first real kiss with him. That date, on your birthday, had been the absolute best date of your life.  

You arrived at Lisa’s and found yourself embraced by the warmth of the Evans' family once more.  Scott and Shanna were there, as were the kids; although the little ones were all busy in the basement.  From the sounds you heard as you passed the open basement door, video games were being fought over. When you asked about Carly and Ryan, you found out they wouldn’t be over until late in the afternoon.  Apparently, Carly had asked Lisa if the grandkids could sleep over last night because she and Ryan had some things to do today. Remembering your conversation with her about igniting a spark, you had to look down as a smile crossed your face and you wondered if she had taken your advice. 

Chris went downstairs to see the kids while you took a seat to the left of Scott, after offering to help and being told Lisa had it all under control.  The smell of bacon frying and fresh coffee brewing were like a slice of heaven and made your stomach growl. As you poured yourself a glass of orange juice, from the container in the center of the table, you casually asked Scott, “So, what’s poppin?” 

“Nothin’ much.  How was the rest of your night?” Scott asked with a devilish smile on his face as he lightly kicked you under the table.  

You kicked him back. “It was….breathtaking,” you said, after a long pause and a deep sigh.  Dodger had been making the rounds and happened to come near you when you said this. You stroked his head as it rested on your lap and added, “wasn’t it, boy?”

Chris came into the room in time to hear your comment and his laughter drew everyone’s attention.  “What she’s trying to say, in a polite way, is that she could’ve used a gas mask because of Dodger, after he ate a bunch of cheese.”

A cacophony of sympathetic sounds erupted from the room.  “Thank you, thank you for that. I wish someone had also warned me that your brother, over here, snores so loud when he’s drunk that it could wake the dead.”

Lisa was walking behind you, heading towards the fridge.  She stopped and put a comforting hand on your shoulder, kissing the top of your head.  “You must be exhausted, want some coffee?”

“It’s more of a need than a want at this point.  Yes, please!” you beamed at her as she walked towards you with the pot.  

“Hey! What about my coffee?” Chris whined as she put it back on the machine.

“You know where it is, get your own! I got breakfast to make.” She turned back to you with a smile as sweet as sugar, obviously on purpose to annoy her son.  “How would you like your eggs, dear?”

“Whatever everyone else is having is fine, I’m easy,” you answered.

When Scott stretched his arms above his head and muttered, “that’s not what I heard,” while leaning back, you realized that you probably should have used a different phrase.

Resting your arms on the table, you leaned forward and looked him squarely in the face and asked, “And what, pray tell, do you know about that?” 

Movement behind your head caught your attention and you turned your head quick enough to catch Chris motioning for Scott to be quiet.  You glared him down, your jaw set tight as you decided, “You know what, I don’t think I want an answer after all.” Hearing Scott’s teasing laughter, you turned a playful glare towards him and said, “Go fly a kite.”  Knowing you were referencing the song, “Let’s go fly a kite,” from Mary Poppins, Chris started a fresh round of laughter while Scott looked on as if he’d gone mad. 

Turning your attention to Shanna, who was mixing up some batter, you asked if she needed help and promptly got up when she agreed to it. She handed you an ice cream scooper and you worked on getting it into the muffin tins while she put away the baking supplies. 

When the last spot was filled, she popped them into the oven and set the timer as you cleaned up. You each grabbed a beater to lick, enjoying the flavor of the blueberry muffin batter. The boys complained that they didn’t get offered any, but Shanna shut it down quickly, telling them only the bakers got the honor.

Lisa called the kids upstairs and then brought out a couple of large pans of scrambled eggs and a platter containing bacon and sausage to the table.  It was a free for all and it was damn good. About 15 minutes later, the timer went off and Shanna pulled the steaming hot muffins out of the oven. She brought them to the table on a multi-tiered server and they were impossible to resist.  

You were in the middle of a bite, relishing the flavor of the fresh blueberry when Scott commented on how delicious and moist they were.  The second the word was out, Chris snorted out a laugh. You tried to hide your smile around eating the muffin, but when Scott asked what was so funny,, Chris laughed louder and there was no suppressing it any further.  As if the younger Evans' boy needed any more ammunition to use, he now had one of your least favorite words in his back pocket to pull out at you anytime he wanted a reaction.

Breakfast was a wonderful affair with lots of stories and funny moments with the children. Stella had you laughing to tears when the little five year old munchkin asked, “Why did the chicken cross the road?”  You all asked, “Why”” She threw her hands up in the air and answered, “To lay its eggs, silly!” Even though the raucous laughter at the table was more because she adorably didn’t know how to tell a joke, rather than the joke itself, she beamed, proud of herself. Ethan was good about it, but Miles attempted to pop her happy bubble. Luckily, their grandma was next to him and quickly shut that shit down. 

Lisa had placed the pot of coffee on the table for refills and you poured some out for yourself and for Scott when he held his mug out.   As you filled it you asked, “Do you need sweetener, dear? A spoonful of sugar perhaps?”

Warily, and trying to figure out just what was behind the question, he answered, “I’ll take the Stevia, thank you.” 

You whistled a little tune as you got the packets for him, enjoying the heart attack you were giving Chris, who was pulling out all of his acting abilities to keep himself under control. 

As soon as the kids were finished eating, they excused themselves to return to the basement.  During the ongoing adult conversation, you commented to Lisa about how much you loved the frames with Disney photos in Chris’s house.  She left the table and returned, a few minutes later, with a few large photo albums. She swapped seats with Scott and opened the first book, wordlessly inviting you for a wonderful stroll down memory lane.

Seeing Chris’s baby pictures and photos from his youth made your heart swell.  He had been the most adorable little boy. There were photos of all of the kids for holidays, birthdays, numerous school concerts and, of course, plays. 

“How many shows were you all in?” you marveled, flipping through the pages, “My god, there’s a lot of photos from plays here!”  For the next several minutes, you were all lost in the sea of costumes and performance shots. Lisa pulled out another album and opened it in front of you, showing another batch of shows from when the kids were older. 

Lisa began telling stories about their numerous trips to Disney since their childhood and the siblings all chimed in.  Scott walked over stood over her shoulder, pointing out how she would dress Chris and himself in matching outfits all the time when they were kids and that said outfits were super cheesy.   She fondly added how adorable their matching 1980’s style bowl haircuts were, too. 

There were some folded papers at the back of the second album and, when you opened it, you saw it was some artwork by Chris.  “I didn’t realize you were such a good artist, these are wonderful, Chris!” you said, looking at the raw, natural talent that permeated so much of this work.  

“If I wasn’t an actor I probably would’ve gone for something in the animation field.”

After the photos albums were put away, the childhood tales of woe began. 

“Does she know about the time you made me pee myself?” asked Scott, elaborating on the story, when you confirmed you’d seen he and Chris tell it on a late night talk show. 

You asked about any other lies Chris told them on purpose and got an earful: “He told me that girls backwash, but boys don’t, so he could drink my stuff but I couldn’t have any of his because of germs,” accused Shanna.  Scott told you how he avoided Rice Krispies for years because Chris told him they were made from the empty shells of ant eggs. 

“Did you know he cut Carly’s hair one night while she slept?” asked Lisa, following her children into storytime. 

You smacked his arm and chastised, “Christopher! You didn’t!” 

His sheepish grin and, lowering of his head, confirmed it. 

“Why?! How much?”

Chris tossed his hands in the air, stuttering as he attempted to defend himself, “She told a girl down the block that I had a crush on her and I totally didn’t! She did it on purpose because she knew the girl annoyed the fahck outta me, followed me all over and shit and the girl doubled down on her efforts after." 

“And that equates to chopping off her hair! How much did he cut?” you asked the others.

Lisa answered for the family, saying that it had been enough to get him punished for a month.  He'd cut a chunk off and they'd had to even it out, probably two inches in total. 

Shanna cut in, “She got even by cutting the toes off of all of his socks!” 

“Oh my god! And then what happened?  Did you get punished, Chris?”

“Part of his punishment was having to buy himself new socks out of his allowance,” Lisa added. 

Shanna pointed at Scott and shouted, “Oh! What about the time I had a sleepover and Scott drew with marker on my friends’ faces!”

You looked across the table at him as he fell to the table in laughter, head on his arms.  When he looked up, you were shaking your head in complete disbelief. “What the hell is wrong with you boys? I feel so bad for your sisters!”

Shanna and Scott were pushing each other with their elbows as she admitted, “Ah, it’s okay, it just made us tougher and more devious.  I filled his pillow case with talcum powder. See, he used to like to plop his head down hard onto his pillow at night when he got into bed.  Not so much after that night.”

Chris slapped his thigh and quipped, “I remember that night, his face was completely white as he ran down the hall yelling, 'MA!!!' He sounded like a goddamn fire engine siren."

The table bursted with laughter so loud that it finally brought the kids out from hiding to see what the commotion was about.  They sat in and heard stories of their aunt and uncles that Ethan said they’d never shared before. The three children got a real kick out of hearing about their mom and how she'd run the roost. 

Stella asked if she could “bwaid" your hair and you scooted forward in your seat, allowing her to stand behind you so she could get full access.  No one ever had to ask twice about being allowed to play with your hair. She dropped onto your shoulders giggling when Lisa told a story about how Scott got mad at Chris once, when he was about Stella’s age, and threatened to run away, only to come back a few minutes later because he wasn’t allowed to cross the street.  

In the end, the braid was really just your hair twisted around a bit, but you made a big deal out of it anyway, as did everyone else, and gave her a hug after helping her slide around to straddle you.  She laid against you, cradled in your arms and smiled up at you. You stroked her silky hair and she relaxed into you, resting her cheek against your chest. Feeling eyes on you, you looked towards Chris and found him watching you with his head tilted slightly, his eyes soft and a content, close lipped smile on his lips.  You wrapped your right arm around Stella to secure her and reached out your free hand towards Chris. He cradled it in his own, holding it for a while as more stories unfolded. 

This family was entertaining as hell, one overtalking the other, everyone chiming in and adding more to the story.  They asked about you and your own brothers and you told a few stories, although they didn’t hold a candle to the antics of this family.  For the most part, you just sat back and absorbed it all, clutching your belly with laughter, wiping tears, interjecting for further explanation and having the time of your life getting to know their history.  After Scott finished telling a story about something he did, you told him as a child he was quite precocious which set off a round of laughter from Chris and Shanna where they could barely breathe. 

Scott and Lisa looked at them bewildered, the kids were all laughing themselves because of the faces their aunt and uncle were making.  Scott knew something was up but couldn’t figure it out, watching the mayhem with a shrewd look on his face, instead.

You glanced at Lisa and saw her surveying the table, an amused look dancing in her eyes.  She stood up and asked if anyone was hungry while walking towards the fridge. Lisa took out some leftovers from the day before for lunch and the stories and reminiscing continued: who broke what bone, the good old days when kids could stay out late with no supervision, favorite places to go hang out, more pranks, and, eventually, nice family stories progressed.  All of the kids asked questions and spurred on the conversation, including the cherub in your arms. 

Stella recounted how you and Scott had been chasing each other in the bounce house and you all had a good laugh over it.  You glanced at Chris before adding, with a little song in your voice, “Yeah, it was definitely a jolly holiday with you all.”  Shanna caught the look and was biting her lip as she she held back a smile, starting to realize the pattern. You winked at her and she nodded slightly in confirmation.

It was mid-afternoon when you and Chris finally called it a day and started saying your goodbyes. You were surprised when they all asked for your number and Shanna sent you a text with another one.  Looking up in surprise at her, she confirmed it was Drew’s and that she had asked her to give it to you. “You made quite the impression on her, she really loved you, Nicole,” she explained. You were very happy to hear that because you were totally in love with this family. The Evans’ were down to earth and loving. The bond between them all was palpable.

Scott wanted a selfie with you and, after it was taken, Chris decided to let Scott in on the Mary Poppins joke.  He asked his brother to text the photo for him. Within seconds the ringtone erupted and all the pieces fell into place.  

“Uh-huh, uh-huh, very funny shithead, very funny.  You won’t think so when you hear what I’m going to have for you!”

“And what is that?” Chris asked.

“I don’t know yet, but it’s gonna be EPIC!” Scott warned.  

The brothers continued to banter and you excused yourself to use the bathroom.  When you were coming back up the hallway, you were able to hear a little bit of the conversation between Chris and his family.  It wasn’t much, but you could clearly make out Shanna telling him to "not fuck this up,” and Lisa asking how he was going to do something.  What that 'something' was, you didn't have a clue. They were, without a doubt, discussing you, though, from the way they suddenly froze all talk stopped, when you entered the room.  

Carly still hadn’t gotten to the house and you asked them to give her your thanks for the wonderful time yesterday.  As you made the rounds one last time, exchanging hugs and taking some pictures with everyone, Lisa pulled you to the side for a moment, letting Chris play with the kids for the time being.  “I’m so happy we got to spend this time together. I hope you realize how special you are to Chris. After meeting you and seeing the two of you together, I can completely see why. Sometimes the universe has a way of putting the puzzle pieces into place in just the right way.”

You blushed furiously at the compliment.  It felt like it was more of a seal of approval and wish for your two than just a simple compliment.  You hoped you weren’t reading too much into it, but the look she and Chris were exchanging now, that he had approached and was standing behind you, just confirmed the feeling.  

“Thank you for that, Lisa.  You’ve all made me feel so welcome and at home.  It’s been wonderful to meet you and the family.”

“We’ll see each other again soon, have a safe trip back home.”  After another tight hug, and being handed a container of muffins for the road, you turned away just as she called out, “and next time it’s home movies!” You looked up at Chris and smiled as you walked beside him while he comically groaned at the comment.

Back at Chris’s house, you walked through the front door and straight to the long sofa, falling down face first into the cushion.  

Dodger came over and licked at your ear.  You half heartedly pushed him away as you whined, in a muffled voice, “I don’t wanna go home.”

Chris was somewhere behind you, close from the sound of his voice, and was absolutely no help.  “So don’t leave. Stay, go home tomorrow,” he coaxed in a voice that was thick and smooth as caramel.

You turned your face so your cheek was now on the couch and you could speak more clearly.  “Can’t, gotta be at the office tomorrow. Besides, aren’t you leaving for Atlanta again?”

Chris came around the sofa as he answered, “I am, but not until Friday morning.  I’ll be home and lonely all day tomorrow without you.” When he reached your side, he smacked you on the ass, making you jump and twist away as you yelped and giggled.  Once he could get a hand under you, he flipped you onto your back and within seconds was settled between your legs. 

He stroked your hair back, running his fingers over your face as his blue eyes pleaded with your own.  “Stay,” he whispered, bringing his persuasive lips to yours and kissing you softly, tenderly. His hand caressed your face before gliding down your body, touching you in ways that made your body squirm against his.  Your hands buried themselves in his hair, which was getting long enough to grab, and you deepened the kiss as your bodies continued to grind against each other. 

Chris moved down to your neck then pulled your top down a bit, nuzzling at the tops of your breasts, before returning to your lips.   “Come to the bedroom, let’s do this right,” he suggested in between kisses. 

With that, he pushed himself up and off of the couch then extended his hand to you.  He helped you up then entwined his fingers with yours as he led the way to the master bedroom.  You made love unhurriedly, enjoying that special time together before parting again, and taking pleasure in making one another feel like you were the only two people in the world.  There was nothing but your hearts beating, your bodies moving, your breath exchanging, and your eyes connecting with the other’s soul. 

Afterwards, you lay snuggled together, completely relaxed.  You were lazily running your index finger in circles over his nipple when he asked, “Are you having fun?” with a light laugh in his voice.

The laughter grew a lot louder when you answered, ”Oh yeah, I just love these candy buttons of yours. Now gimme some sugar!” You flipped yourself over and laid on top of his body, tongue darting out to quickly flick your tongue over it. 

“You’re a nut,” he teased, trying to cover said buttons from your attack.  He finally ended up hooking his hands under your armpits and hoisting you up towards his face.  “If you get to lick candy buttons then I get to enjoy some gumdrops.” He captured the nipple of your left breast and suddenly you were both kids in a candy store, exploring each other with your tongues and hands all over again.  You pulled a condom from the top drawer of his nightstand and sheathed him, sinking down to ride him this time. Where round one had been intense and loving, round two was playful and fun. The chemistry between you was off the charts and made sex with Chris so completely different than anything you’d experienced before.  You'd never known it could be like this and you would never accept anything less. 

The sexcapades left you both starving and, after redressing, Chris called in an order for Chinese food.  You packed up your things and brought your bag to the front door before joining Chris and Dodger in the backyard until the food arrived then ate on the porch.  When he found out you didn’t know how to use chopsticks, but had always wanted to, he gave you a lesson and you proudly picked up broccoli and chicken with them. The rice… well, that was going to need a bit more practice. 

There was a bit of silence, by the end of the meal, both of you lost in your own thoughts.  Yours were about not wanting to leave, but knowing that you had to, and soon. You Googled the schedule for the ferry out of Connecticut to Long Island and took a snapshot of it.  With any luck, you’d be able to shave some of the driving off your plate if you could catch one tonight. 

Chris cleared his throat and shared what was on his mind.  “I’m sorry that I can’t give you the kind of stable relationship you’ve probably been waiting for.”

You stopped chewing, swallowing hard to clear what was in your mouth.  From across the table, you looked at him and braced yourself, deciding to question exactly what he meant.  His eyes were down, face unreadable. 

Not knowing what prompted this declaration, and unsure if he had more, you answered seriously, “I haven’t been waiting for any kind of relationship.  I wasn’t even looking for one when we met, to be honest. Do you have something you want to tell me, Chris?” 

He looked up swiftly, catching the vibe in your voice, the trepidation.  “No! It’s not - I’m not - I just meant that I feel bad that we always just seem to get a couple of days together and then I have to leave again.  It’s not fair to you - to us.”

Your breathing relaxed and you answered as evenly as you could, “Why don’t you let me decide what’s fair to me, okay?  I knew coming into this relationship that we weren’t going to be a ‘normal’ couple,” you explained, making air quotes around the term. 

“I know that, Nic, but I’ve got so much traveling coming up this year.  It’s hard enough on my dog, I can only imagine how difficult it is for you.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong.  It’s probably easier on me because I know where you are and when you’re getting back and I can contact you, unlike the fluffy fucker over here that has no idea what’s really going on.”

The seriousness in Chris broke a little and he chuckled at the term, adding, “Okay, you have a point there, I’ll give ya that.”

“We’re stable, we’re good. We’ll see each other in person as often as we can, we fill in the blanks in between. I’m okay with that, really, I am.”

Not convinced, he stroked the scruff on his face and said, “Still, I’m sure you’d rather have a man that can be home with you every night.  Spend the weekends together doing fun stuff.”

“You know I’m not the kind of girl that needs that constant attention.  I enjoy my independence. I know how to keep myself busy when you’re not around.”

He sat back and crossed his arms, an amused smile taking over his face.  “Oh, so you’re saying you prefer having me be away so you can go galavanting whenever you please?”   

You flipped him off and expanded on your comment.  “I’m just saying this is- in a way- not necessarily a horrible thing.  Don’t get me wrong, I miss you like crazy all the time, but I like that I also get to do my own thing. I can’t be one of those girls that gives up everything and everyone and spends all of her spare time with a guy.”

“Nor would I want that for you, or for anyone. I’m just worried about when we have to go longer than a couple of weeks apart. You know that’s coming soon, we’ve been lucky so far.”

“So let’s not think about it. Let’s focus on one separation at a time. For now, I leave tonight and I see you again in eight days. For a  _ whole _ weekend. I’m totally good with that.” 

“And then I leave the country.” 

You held up a hand and a finger to caution him and shook your head to silence him.  A text lit up your phone, your mom asking if you’d gotten on the road yet. She always worried when it was a long trip alone, it didn’t matter how old you were. 

You answered her, reading your answer out loud so he knew what was going on.  Then you looked at Chris, for a moment, and made an evil snicker while you opened your contacts. 

“Oh Lord, do I even want to know what you’re doing over there?”

“Probably not, but I’ll tell you anyways.  The night we met I saved your number in my phone as ‘“My Captain.”  I’ve decided to personalize it.”

“To what?”

“Krispies. After hearing that story from Scott it just feels right.”

Chris laughed and rolled his eyes. He then wiped his hands and face with a napkin and came around behind your chair as you did the same. 

“I care about you so much, Nicole.” Chris said, draping his arms around you and kissing the side of your face.  “Next weekend is going to be amazing. I promise.”

You were secretly hoping for him to say something stronger than “care,” but, when the moment passed and nothing followed, you let it go. You took his hand and kissed it, nuzzling into him. 

“Where are we staying?”  you asked, before turning in your seat to look at him and admitting, “Can you believe it’s going to be my first time staying in the city?  I’ve always gone home after spending the day.”

“No shit? I’ll send you the info tomorrow when I get it all from my assistant. He had me booked at my norm, but now that you’re coming, I want something more private and romantical.” He wiggled his brows as he said the last word, making you laugh.  

“I’d love a ‘romantical’ weekend away with you. I feel bad for making more work for your assistant, though.”

“It’s no trouble, he does this stuff in his sleep.”

“That must be a pretty cool job, depending upon the celebrity, of course.”

“Yeah, I guess. I mean, I’ve seen what some people put their assistants through as it can be a tough job.”  Chris paused and then pretended he just got a brilliant idea, slowly saying, “Heeeey, I know how we can fix our distance issues! You can quit your job and become my assistant, or co-assistant, so you would have plenty of free time for me.”

“Pffft! Are you kidding me? For all I know behind the scenes you’re one of those lunatics that get drunk with power.  You’d have me pick all the green M&M’s out of a pack or place hidden Mickey’s everywhere, or have nothing in the room that starts with the letter 'R.'  Nah-uh, I’ll keep my day job, thank you!”

“Only one of those is remotely close to the truth.”

You chuckled then said, “We’ll have our romantical time however we can get it.” You pushed up from your chair and put your arms around his neck. “For now, though, I think it’s time for me to get going if I want to make it home before the morning.” 

“Sure you gotta go?” Chris asked, running his hands up and down your sides, those soft blue eyes looking sad beneath the long lashes he was looking through.  

“I’m afraid it’s time.  I’m so happy I got to come, your family is just amazing.  It’s no wonder you are, too.”

He blushed, biting the inside of his cheek and causing his dimple to show.  God, he was so beautiful. You went inside and got ready to leave. He walked you to your car and he and Dodger delayed you every second they could.  Beside the blue SUV, pressed up against it to be exact, Chris kissed you one last time; a slow, long and deep kiss that made your toes curl and made you want to run back into the house.  But, it was already close to 7pm and you had several hours of travel ahead of you, the trip could be delayed no longer. 

You promised to call him when you got home and he opened the driver’s side door, closing it once you got in.  You lowered the window and exchanged another quick kiss before he gave the roof a couple of quick smacks and sent you on your way.  He was still standing in the driveway watching you, his hands on his hips, when you looked in your rearview mirror before the house fell out of sight. 

Deciding you needed some company on the road, you called Dani and spent the next hour talking over your Bluetooth, filling her in on your holiday with Chris and his family. When she had to go, you checked your navigation system and saw that you had just over another hour before reaching the ferry in Bridgeport, CT, so you called your parents and caught up with them.  Taking the ferry would save you more than an hour of driving and sitting in city traffic, you’d much rather relax and let them do the work for you at this time of the night. You arrived at the dock and only had about a twenty minute wait before you were able to drive on board. 

After checking in, you made your way up the stairs to the top of the ferry and found an open spot on a bench that looked out over the back of the boat.  You watched Connecticut fade away, taking you further away from Chris as you crossed the Long Island Sound. The water here was calm, the sky was pitch black and the moon and stars were begging to be viewed.  You wondered if Chris was outside, right now, looking at them, too, and decided to take a picture and text it to him with a note, “Wishing you were here.” He sent one back saying he did, too. 

Being able to relax gave your mind time to wander, which was both a good and bad thing.  You remembered the last time you had been on this ferry, leaving Boston back in May after a whirlwind weekend with Chris.  The butterflies in your belly then were still there now, but for a different reason. So much had happened since that day; so much had changed.  It had been less than two months ago, but somehow it felt like a lifetime. 

Your gut was telling you that next weekend was going to be significant.  There was something about the way he'd asked you and talked about it, like he was nervous and excited at the same time.  Your brain was asking how long he’d known about the trip and why was he only asking now? Had he been waiting to see how things went with his family first? Had his home turf been a test somehow? There was also the matter of how deeply you’d fallen for him, and how you weren’t going to be able to keep it a secret much longer.  You heart told you he was in the same place, but your brain was harder to convince and kept playing devil’s advocate.

Your musing was interrupted by a text from Shanna, followed by a few more in quick succession.  They were photos taken of you with Chris and other members of the family during the last two days.  You thanked her and sent her ones that you had on your phone. Deciding to take advantage of the sudden confidence you had from his sister, who you didn’t think you would ever actually hear from, you sent a message to Drew who quickly answered back.  Texting with both girls made the rest of trip go by in the blink of an eye. 

Around 11:30 pm, you finally reached your apartment.  You went through the mail while munching on a blueberry muffin and sent Chris the text, letting him know you'd gotten home safely.  Unpacking could wait, showers could wait, everything could wait. Only your bed could not. You grabbed Gordon, the stingray Chris had sent you in May, and fell asleep clutching him hard to your chest with one hand. Your other hand stretched out to where Chris should be, wishing he was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to @beccaheartschrisevans for being my wonderful editor for this chapter
> 
> Musical inspo for this chapter was "I Get Weak" by Belinda Carlisle


	36. Bed of Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has some confessions, recollections, and long distance connections before arriving in Manhattan to meet Chris.

The alarm clock had a deathwish.  

You fumbled with it, finally succeeding at shutting it off and knocking it off your nightstand at the same time.  You flopped back on the pillow, shutting out reality for a few minutes longer. You already missed having Chris beside you in bed. Especially having his warm body stretched out alongside yours, his soft skin to run your fingers over and his hands caressing your own skin.  

_ Way to procrastinate, Nicole, way to go _ . If you didn’t stop thinking about him, you’d never get out of bed.  After forcing yourself to get out of bed, you dragged yourself straight for the shower, but the thoughts of Chris followed you.  

Memories of what had happened, in this very shower, with him last month and what had happened in his shower three days ago, made you stay in there a lot longer than you should have.  Suddenly, the fingers sliding along your body were his and the steam on your neck was Chris’s hot breath. The rivulets of water running down your skin, over your nipples, were his tongue. Your body was pulsating; the images were so strong you could practically feel his lips on you and his dick thrusting inside of you as your fingers worked their magic.

Thank god for handheld shower heads, you thought as you stepped out of the shower. 

After applying today’s body lotion, a summery coconut scent to awaken your senses, you went to your closet to choose an outfit and pulled out a favorite pair of heels, deciding to build the whole look around them.  They were a soft cream colored, leather shoe with black leather detail, around the front and back, in a beautiful scroll type pattern. You paired then with flowy, cream colored pants and a soft pink wrap blouse. Keeping things simple, since you didn’t quite have the energy to do much else; you dried then pulled your hair up and added a little makeup and a pair of dangling black earrings, also in a scroll design.  You checked yourself out in a long mirror and felt good about the reflection. You still looked a bit tired, but you would fake it till you could make it, as the saying went. 

When you entered your workplace, you were already wishing you could go home and crawl back into the comfort of your bed.  The last few days had taken a toll on you; they had been full of fun, but they had also been full of driving, physical activities you weren’t exactly used to yet and emotionally taxing.  

You walked past your colleagues, mustering a smile at everyone you passed on the way to your private office, which seemed like it was miles away today.  It wasn’t a large office, like the attorney’s had, but it was still all yours. Your bosses strived to make the workplace a welcoming environment and allowed you to make your office comfortable.  Your diplomas were displayed on the wall in beautiful cream colored wood frames, along with their standard decor of framed, vintage looking, old world maps. On the credenza that ran along one wall, you kept a few framed photographs of family and friends and a few mementoes from your travels, which made the workspace inviting.  

Before sitting down, you went to the windowsill and checked the soil of your gardenia to see if t needed water.  It was a gift from your mother when you first got this job, and she had it placed inside a Tiffany blue planter for a touch of color. Keeping it close by allowed it’s lush scent to be within reach throughout the day.  A seashell collected during your trip to the beach with Chris in June was resting beside it. 

After placing your purse inside the bottom drawer or your wood desk, you pulled a few things out of your tote bag that you needed for this morning and tucked the bag beneath the desk in easy reach.  It was while logging into your computer and, by habit, reaching for your coffee that you realized something was missing. The fog you were in had caused you to leave the travel mug of coffee you'd made on your kitchen counter.  

Valentina appeared in your doorway just as you were in the middle of silently shouting, “FUCK!” in aggravation with yourself.  She leaned into the frame, arms crossed, one brow lifted in question and her lips were pursed as they fought back a smile as she looked you over.  

“Somebody looks like they were ridden hard and put away wet. What kind of shenanigans did you get up to, missy?”

Dramatically, you slumped forward onto your desk and lightly banged your head.  “What the hell have I gotten myself into, Val?” You looked up, keeping your arms straight and palms flat against the top of the desk.  “Shenanigans? The word doesn’t even  _ begin _ to cover this freakin’ trip.”

“Wait just one second.  This sounds like a job for Dr. Starbucks.” 

With that, your friend left the doorway and you began checking into your workload for the day.  With a sigh of relief, you saw that there were no meetings scheduled, just straight research for the most part, save for one case that needed some prep for an upcoming court date.   

As the file loaded, a heavenly scent reached your nose.  Val had returned with a Venti sized coffee in hand that she was waving a file folder over, helping to waft the scent your way.  

“Mmmm, latte?” you asked, your brain already perking up.  

“Of course!  Three shots of espresso, my dear.  I figured you may need a little caffeinated assistance this morning,” she replied with a wink. 

“Ha! You have no idea,” you joked, telling her the tale of your missing mug. 

She entered your office, closing the door behind her and delivered the nectar of the Gods to your outstretched hand.  You took a deep sniff, breathing in the rich aroma and held the cup with both hands then proclaimed, “Have I ever told you the best fuckin’ friend EVER!” 

“It’s been at least two months since you’ve said it.  You were damn near overdue.”

You took a sip, savoring it in your mouth and letting it awaken your taste buds before swallowing.   She made another comment, this one definitely not suitable for work, when you took a bigger sip and you had to swallow quickly to avoid choking as you stifled a laugh.  She had a way of saying things in a certain tone of voice that was a perfect combination of dripping with sarcasm and warm with endearment. Your life wouldn’t be the same without her. 

With wide eyes, you asked, “Wait a minute?  You didn’t see the skywriter I hired last week?”  You slapped a hand down onto your desk and exclaimed, “Dammit! I want my money back now!”  

She sat down in the chair on the other side of your desk, crossing her legs and leaning forward. “You shouldn’t have hired your Mom’s ‘Pool Boy’ to do that skywriting, honey.  Looks like you have way bigger fish to fry.”

“Hey!” you said, pointing a finger at her and narrowing your eyes.  “You leave Enrrrriqueee alone or the next time it will say, ‘Surrender, Valentina’ across the sky.  Don’t make me call my flying monkeys!” You sat back and took another sip before adding, “Besides, I heard your mom hired him, too.”

“I swear on Enrique’s pretty little golden speedo, if you don’t leave my mother out of this, I will end you.”  she teased and then sighed, giving you a little wink. “Truth. How are you really doing?”

You put down your coffee and used both hands to help express yourself and count the points.  “Honestly? I’m on a fuckin’ emotional seesaw. His family is amazing, we got along better than I ever could’ve imagined.  Chris and I grew a lot closer. He was in his element, so relaxed. We had a blast, the sex was insanely hot, I’m crazy about his dog, Dodger, and just… I don’t know,” you gushed, lowering your head to look down at your hands, which were both in your lap now.  You were nervously picking at your cuticle, chastising yourself to stop, but not doing so. You looked up and met her waiting eyes. 

“Clearly something is bothering you, dear. What is it?”

“I love him,” you said, pausing for a moment before continuing. “I thought maybe I did or was heading that way before this trip.  But I wasn’t sure. Now I am sure and it scares the everloving shit out of me.”

“Why? What did he say when you told him?”

You froze like a deer in the headlights, just staring at her.

“Oh, sweetheart, you didn’t tell him?”

Still not speaking, you just shook your head ever so slightly and bit your lip, your hands slowly falling into your lap as you waited for the verbal thrashing you figured was about to come.  You were surprised when, instead of irritation, her voice and eyes softened with compassion.

“Honey...why not?”

Anger, irritation, or annoyance, you could have handled those reactions like a pro. But this?  The look she was giving you as she waited patiently for an answer caused tears to prick your eyes.  You blinked quickly, trying to will them away.

“It’s going to sound stupid and probably old fashioned, but  _ he _ didn’t say it. I thought at one point he was going to, but he didn’t.  Which made me think maybe he doesn’t. And if I say it first-” You dropped your head back and looked at the ceiling, unable to look at her while you continued.  “What if I say it and it’s too soon and I ruin everything? If I push him and he’s not ready. I’m a nobody. Maybe he’s just looking for a good time or an experiment.  I’d rather keep my mouth shut and keep him than say the wrong thing and lose him.” These were all ideas that had been swirling in your mind during the long ride home yesterday, but hearing them said out in the open felt different.  Your fears felt like a knife going into your heart, held by your own hand. 

Valentina came around the desk and crouched in beside you, taking your hands in her own and guiding you to turn towards her.  

“Mi hija, listen to me.  After the time you’ve spent with him, getting to know him, talking with him on the phone, has anything ever indicated that he would be so callous with your feelings? How do you know he isn’t feeling the same way right now? having the same doubts?”

You said softly, “You’re right, and no, he hasn’t.  His family made it pretty clear that I’m important to him, he’s definitely been talking about me to them.”  You tilted your head and rolled your eyes at your own behavior and inwardly berating yourself for your anxieties before adding, “Actually, he’s coming to Manhattan on the 14th for a meeting and asked if I could come to the city on Friday night and spend the weekend with him.”

“Sweetie, I think you need to tell him how you’re feeling when you see him. You can’t bottle things up like this, it’s not healthy. I know you’re scared, but you’ve told me time and again what a good man he is.”

“He leaves for Scotland that Monday and won’t be back until August.  Do you think it’s okay to say it and then not see him again for so long? We’re probably barely going to talk while he’s away because of night shoots and time zone differences.”

“That’s your decision to make.  But do you think you can stand waiting all that time without telling him?”

You thought it over for a moment or two, then let out a sigh and shook your head.  “No. It will end up coming out over the phone or Skype and that’s not how I want it.  I’ve waited a long time for this, it has to be in person. These constant separations are something I’m going to have to learn how to deal with if things work out long term.”

“You’ll know when the time feels right.  Don’t second guess yourself when it does.”

She tucked some loose strands of your hair behind your ear, always the mom, even though you were close in age.

In a voice just above a whisper, you confessed, “I’m terrified, Val. It’s been such a long time since I opened my heart to someone and look how that worked out.  Dave left me for a coworker. Look at the kinds of coworkers Chris has. It’s so hard to trust someone again.”

“Chris isn’t Dave.  It’s not fair to put that yoke around his neck.  You told me yourself that he’s not like other men. Don’t paint him with Dumbass Davie’s brush.”

“You’re right and you’re going to have to keep smacking me with that logic for a while.  My insecurities will break us up faster than any hot co-star.”

You cell vibrated and, when you looked over, you saw that it was photo of Chris and Dodger.  A second later, a message came through saying, “We miss you! When you come back Dodger promises he won’t try to gas you to death again. Hope you have an amazing day.”

“Gas you?” Valentina asked curiously as you showed her the message.  This launched into you telling her some of the adventures, and misadventures, you had during the trip, under the guise of working together doing the court prep.  You caught her up on the rest over lunch. Now, you just had to find a way to keep this secret love for Chris to yourself until next weekend.

When Friday night came, you decided to skip happy hour with some colleagues to spend the evening with your family instead. You usually had dinner with your parents on Wednesday's, but had missed it due to being in Boston.  You arrived at your childhood home just before your brother Ryan and his kids, Alex and Maddi, got there. Your mom had told you ahead of time that your sister-in-law, Sarah, wouldn’t be attending because she was having a much needed girls night with some friends.  

Your dad was at the outdoor grill, sharing a beer with Ryan and finishing some delicious smelling ribs and barbequed chicken.  There were several foiled covered ears of corn and potatoes that you couldn’t wait to get your hands on. Alex was out there, too, drinking his own bottle of “Beer.  Root beer!” as he loved to joke.

Seeing that “the men” had everything under control, you joined Maddie and your mom in the kitchen with salad and side dish prep while you caught each other up on the week.  Maddie was becoming quite the little helper and you teasingly christened her, “The Iron Chef.” 

Over dinner, you answered the multitude of questions about your trip that your family tossed your way.  When you told them about the craziness of the Evans siblings, your mom was quick to remind you and Ryan not to thrown stones because you had all been far from angels yourselves.

You scoffed, “I was totally an angel, Ma.”

“Sure you were.  Your horns held the halo up perfectly, Nicole,” your mom pointed out as she made her plate.  

Ryan interjected, “Exactly what I’ve been saying since you were a kid.  You drove me and Erik nuts most of the time.”

“I did not!”

“You did, too!”

“Not!”

“Alright, you two, knock it off,” your dad admonished before looking towards his grandchildren, who were watching their dad and aunt like there was a tennis match.  He smiled and then added, “He’s right, she was a pest.”

“Daddy!” you said, pretending to be shocked, “I was good!!”  You knew he was right, you just didn’t want to admit it.

Your mom threw back her head in laughter, her hand covering her heart.  The kids giggled at the reaction. When she got her control over herself, she looked towards your dad and said, “Honey, oh my god, I almost forgot! Do you remember how Nicole always came around to tell us she was ‘being good’?”

Your father smiled broadly, giving you a wink, before explaining to the kids, “We always knew when your aunt was about to do something that would get her into trouble because she would run over to one of us and state, ‘I’m being good!’  We quickly learned that was code for, 'I hope you don’t find out.' One of us would always be on alert for what she was up to when she said it. Sometimes, it was just climbing something she shouldn’t be-” he shook his head and muttered with a smile, “damn monkey,” before continuing,  “sometimes she’d be using her paints to make the fence prettier.”

“Or putting her baby doll dresses on the dogs,” your mom added.  

Your dad slapped the table then added, “Or giving them haircuts. God, remember that Collie we had? She got a hold of the scissors and gave the poor thing a punk rock haircut!”

Ryan chimed in and added in annoyance, “Or taking all my bb gun pellets and using them as ‘bubble bath’ for her freakin’ Barbie dolls.” 

You cocked your head and squared your jaw while looking at your brother.  “Really? You’re still mad at me for that, are you?”

“You ruined three boxes!”

“You fed my Barbies to your lizard.”

“Served them right after that.”

“Two of them were so mauled I had to throw them out!”

Your dad cleared his throat and you both understood, immediately, it was time to drop it.  You both took a minute to collect yourselves, the kids were watching intently, enjoying the show.  Your parents started telling other stories to them and it was soon clear that you and your brothers had been a handful.  In fact, in some ways, you actually gave Chris and his siblings a run for their money. 

“Your dad tried to sell me.  True story,” you told the kids, pointing an accusatory finger at Ryan.  “Pushed my stroller to the end of the driveway and tried to get rid of me.”

“DADDY! How could you?”  Maddie asked in shock. 

You looked at him with a shiteating grin, but rather than try to one up you, he told them a different story.  Suddenly, long forgotten memories came flooding back and the family was all in the haze of it. The comment about you dressing the dogs, had made you remember the multiple dogs that had been part of the family and everyone got to talking about them.  There had been five in all, including Ralphie the Pekingese, who was at the moment snoring loudly as he napped in one of his many beds. You told them about Dodger and showed them some photos from your trip. 

"Do you remember how we got that Golden Retriever?” Ryan asked.

“The one Erik was given as payment for newspaper delivery?” you laughed, remembering his first job and how your poor mother was really the one that did all the work, but he was the one who collected the pay." 

“He’s the runt of the litter,” Ryan said, imitating his big brother, “He’s only going to get-” the whole family said the next line, arms spread about a foot apart. “-this big.”

You looked at the kids and explained, “The dog was like a horse.  One hundred and fifty pounds, taller than me on his back legs. Ate us out of house, home and furniture.”

Your mom decided to text Erik to see if he was busy or could Facetime for a bit to share some more stories.  She also wanted to tell him how delicious his dry rub recipe had turned out. 

“I wish Erik was here,” you said wistfully.  It felt like forever since you’d seen your oldest brother and you missed the hell out of him.  He lived a little over three hours away in Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, and had opened a restaurant there with his wife about two years ago.  He was the chef and, unless it was a major event, he rarely got weekends off to come see the family. 

He answered your mom back, a few minutes later.  He was busy, as usual, since it was the dinner rush, but he did text your mom back a few times to ask what the stories were and add his own anecdotes.   

While everyone was enjoying fruit salad for dessert,  Chris sent you a text to see what you were up to. Ryan looked over at your phone, being nosy, and saw the name “Krispies.”  After he asked about it, you told your family the story about Chris lying to Scott about rice krispies being ant eggs. 

“I decided between the story and the fact that the word still has his name in it, it would work for a code name in my contacts.” 

You exchanged several messages back and forth with Chris, rehashing some of the stories you thought he would enjoy and catching up on what he was doing as well.  When the story about the way Ryan would lick things to claim them, literally each cookie in a package if he bought them, came up, you sent the story to Chris. 

** KRISPIES ** **:** OMFG! So licking things is a family trait?

**YOU** :  Hahaha I LICKED IT, IT’S MINE!!

** KRISPIES ** : LMFAO 

Chris sent you a gif of himself laughing hard and clutching his chest. 

**KRISPIES** :  You do like to claim things with that wonderful tongue of yours

**YOU** :   If you like it, you lick it.  Everybody knows that. 

**YOU** :  It’s not my fault that I happen to like every part of you. 

He now sent a gif of himself from Fantastic Four, looking all sexy and raising a brow.

**KRISPIES** :  Fair enough. Do I get to lick things I like to claim them for myself too?

**YOU** :  Anytime, baby

He then sent a gif of himself raising both eyebrows while smiling devilishly.  It was both a blessing and a curse that there were so many gifs of him available on the internet.  He liked to use them to add a little extra to the conversations, sometimes, but it killed you to not be seeing him doing these things in person.

**KRISPIES** :  This time next week I hope to be claiming your clam.

You nearly choked on your own saliva when you read his message.  Your cheeks were burning furiously and, of course, Ryan had to call you out on it.  

“Look at her face, Ma! She’s turning purple and has that devious sparkle in her eyes.”

“I’m being good,” you said quietly, completely unable to keep a straight face.  You nearly dropped the phone when you read the next text that came through. 

**KRISPIES** : I want to CAPsize the little man in the boat with my tongue. 

Maddie tried to pull the phone from you, claiming that you were breaking the “tech free table” rule.  You quickly grabbed it back as there was no way you could risk her seeing any other messages that came through.  You decided to call an end to the banter, for now, and sent him a message back telling him this would be picked up later when you got home. 

After coffee, you said your goodbyes. They were almost as excited about your upcoming weekend in Manhattan as you were and you had cleared the rights to the house upstate for the weekend in August.  Once you got home and Chris had finished working, you got set up on Skype and finished the conversation that he had started over the texts. Flicking the bean alone wasn’t as good as him using his tongue, but when he brought his voice down to its lower register it became dangerously sexy.  That caramel smooth voice, that sometimes became a growl, could instantly walk you through almost any fantasy as if he were there beside you. 

On Saturday, you treated the kids to a movie, taking them to see Spiderman: Homecoming.  You exchanged texts with Chris before it started, sending him a picture of yourself in a grey Captain America shield tank top, saying how you were looking forward to seeing him on the big screen.  Nothing could’ve prepared you for it, though. Even with the goofy outfit on, seeing him larger than life and knowing he was yours did things to you; things that made you squirmy and needing to shift in your seat a bit.  It also made you crave seeing him in the flesh again. Luckily, the kids weren’t paying attention to you as they were too mesmerized by the movie. 

They were, however, freaking the fuck out every time Chris came out in the movie and you had to keep shushing them. As you walked out of the theater after, with two very excited kids, Maddie couldn’t stop gushing over the movie and Chris and Tom.  

As you were nearing the car, Maddie asked you very seriously, “Aunt Nicole, are you going to marry Chris and become Mrs. America?”

“Whoa! Just whoa, slow down there, honey, we’re just dating. We’re nowhere near being close to that yet.”

“You said yet,” Alex quipped.

“What was that?”

“You said, ‘yet.’"  He gave you a large grin, proud of himself for the catch.

You pointed at him and threatened, “Don’t be a smart ass, get in the car.”

“There she is… Miss America,” Alex sang as he got in and buckled up.  He met your eyes in the rear view mirror and there was no way to keep a straight face, your smile and laughter giving him a self-satisfied smile. 

Chris had warned you ahead of time that  he was going out to dinner with his co-star Scarlett Johansson when they wrapped up for the day, so you had some time to look over your clothing options for next weekend as well as coordinate some outfits for the upcoming week.  You had the clothes you wanted, but decided you would need to spend some time shopping this week for something sexy and special to wear for bed. Something brand new and chosen just for him. 

While you were eating dinner on the couch and watching some Netflix, a text came in from Chris.  It was a picture of his plate of sushi followed by a selfie of him and Scarlett. It occurred to you that any other woman in that photo would probably have you in a nervous twitch, but he’d told you enough about their relationship where you trusted them together implicitly.  They had worked together so many times and had been friends for so many years that they had become almost like brother and sister. To a third person, their interactions could seem like flirting, but in reality it was meaningless and more inside joke than anything else. You couldn’t believe it when another text came through telling you that Scarlett said you were hilarious and beautiful.  What the fuck had your life become when these were the kinds of messages you got these days? More importantly, what would it take to make sure it never ended?

During your lunch hour on Tuesday, you spoke to Chris to make final arrangements for the weekend.  He had been keeping certain things a surprise for you, but wanted your input for others. He finally gave you the name of the hotel and you looked it up on your computer immediately.  

“Holy shit, Chris! Are you sure you want to stay there?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Um...nothing, if you’re comfortable with spending a month’s rent on a weekend.  Are you sure it’s okay?”

Chris chuckled, you were still staring with wide eyes at the rooms and rates.  

“It’s fine, Nikki, trust me.”

After more silence, he added, “Look, I know money talk makes you uncomfortable, but I make good money and I live well below my means.  We can afford to splurge. Besides, aren’t you worth it?”

When you still didn’t answer, he pressed you again.  “Nicole, don’t look at the price, look at the place. It’s what you deserve and it’s where you’re staying, with me, all weekend. And I can’t fuckin’ wait.”

You finally smiled and felt excitement stirring.  When you were younger, you had imagined your first time with the man you loved would be in a beautiful hotel with a comfortable bed, soft sheets, plush robes and the whole night to yourselves.  What you'd actually gotten had been the total opposite. When you had “revirginized,” you had decided it was a second chance for that, but then one thing had led to another with Chris. You had no regrets about sleeping with Chris already, but without realizing it this choice that he made was the fulfillment of your fantasy. 

Chris interrupted your daydreaming with a question. “Okay, so now that that is out of the way, I need your opinion on something.  I’d like to take you to a Broadway show on Saturday, if that’s okay with you. Any special requests?”

You could think of nothing, your mind suddenly drawing a blank.  

“Have you seen the Disney ones?  Lion King or Aladdin?” he asked.

“I’ve seen Lion King, but not Aladdin.  I’ve heard it’s wonderful, though.”

“That’s what I’ve heard, too. I know you said that was one of your favorites movies, would you want to see it? I can have my assistant score us some tickets.”

You happily agreed, discussing other things to possibly do over the weekend, if there was time, as well as some places to eat.

Your lunch hour was about to end so you wrapped up your call and then dove into work.  It was the only way to avoid spending the day thinking about your upcoming plans. 

The next few days went by in a blur.  You were able to get to a lingerie shop and found something that felt perfect for Saturday. In the back of your mind there was always a nagging worry about the weekend that you pushed aside, willing everything to work out perfectly after you told him how you felt about him.  He was doing some night shoots so you only got to talk sporadically through the day and even that was tough between your job and his stunt training. 

Chris surprised you with a text on Wednesday night as you pulled into the parking lot of your apartment complex.

**KRISPIES** :  I miss your scent.

**YOU** :  Which one?  I’ve used so many different ones around you LOL

**KRISPIES** :  YOURS.

**YOU** :  OH!

**KRISPIES:**  I wish I had my face buried in you right now, making you shout that word.

**YOU** :  Are you free to talk right now if I call you on Skype?

**KRISPIES** : I’m sitting alone on the bed and I miss the fuck out of you.  Want to join me?

**YOU** :  I’m coming right now!

**KRISPIES** :  Already?  I barely started.  Damn I’m good!

**YOU** :  Yes you are, baby.  brt

You rushed up your steps and got inside as quickly as you could.  You went straight for your laptop and then to your bedroom to continue the conversation.  You didn’t smoke, but you sure could’ve used a cigarette, by the time the call ended. 

After work on Thursday, you went to Valentina’s for dinner and afterwards you both snuck away to a nearby nail salon for mani-pedi’s.  The place also offered waxing and you decided to have your eyebrows done. While you were in the chair, Val came by and started negotiating a different kind of wax job for you. 

“Oh hell to the no, V.  I am not going bare down there!”

“Don’t knock it till you try it, chica.  It makes you veerrry sensitive,” she said with a lascivious wink.

“I’m perfectly fine with my sensitivity level, but I appreciate your concern.”

“It’s not something to do all the time, but it can be a nice surprise.”

“No.”

“They can leave some hair and make a shape!”  She threw back her head in evil aughter, attracting very unwanted attention as you turned redder.  “Can you imagine his face if you showed up with a lightning bolt! Get it… Thor!” 

There was no possible way anyone in this place could know who you were seeing and make the connection, but you froze up anyway and went on the defense.  “Why are you so concerned about the look of my lady parts? Are you trying to tell me something?”

“What? No, honey, no! I’m only teasing, really.”

While in the chair, the esthetician had talked into waxing your upper lip, too, and you were forced to keep quiet for a few minutes as she plucked some remaining hairs around your mouth and chin. With all the talk about unwanted hair, you suddenly felt like maybe you were a sasquatch.  Things everywhere else were trimmed and tidy, but still, a little extra attention to detail couldn’t hurt. Except, it hurt like a motherfucker and you were so happy you hadn't gone for the whole thing; at least not for your first time. You walked out of the spa walking a little funny, but with a clean, if red, bikini area.

When you got home, there was enough time for a quick shower before your nightly call with Chris.  Afterwards, you put on a soft, loose t-shirt and laid down in bed with the laptop resting beside you.  

You were on Skype tonight and it started off easy enough, but then his voice changed and became serious.

“Nicole, we need to talk.”

“Um, okay, what about?,” you asked seriously, pulling the hair tie out of your hair and redoing it nervously. The tone of his voice caught your attention and when you were done with your hair you quickly scrambled to sit up straight,  swooping the laptop up and cradling it upon your crossed legs. 

“Relax, babe, it’s nothing bad.”

You set out a huge sigh of relief, dropping your head back and placing your hand against your chest.  “Chris. You need to learn to never, ever, begin a conversation with a woman with, ‘We need to talk’ if it’s not serious.”

“My bad, sorry.”

“So what is it you want to talk to me about?”

Now he was the hedgy one.  You could see his hand rubbing the back of his neck and then his fingers started to swipe over his face.  wwwwww

“You know I’m coming into town for business, right?”

“Yes.”

“So my PR rep, Jo, will be here in town with me and she wants to meet with you.  My assistant, Paul, will be here, too, and I want you guys to meet.”

“Joanna wants to meet me?  Why? Why now?”

“She’s in town, she knows we’re getting more serious.  I think she just wants to make sure everyone is on the page as far as ground rules for when we’re in public and some general stuff like that.”

You were biting the inside of your cheek, thinking about what he just said.

“Hey, don’t stress about this.  I didn’t tell you earlier in the week because I didn’t want you spending all week fretting about it.”

“Well, I appreciate that. You know me too well..”  After a moment, you blew out a strong breath and added, “I guess it’s a necessary evil with your job.”

“You’re going to do fine.  I promise.”

Chris filled you in on his people and what to expect from them so you wouldn’t be totally weirded out.  

Friday morning came along both faster and slower than you expected.  Knowing that you were going to leave for Manhattan straight from work, you packed your things for the weekend in a small carry on suitcase and put together at least five outfits before making your choice. 

You decided on something that would be good for both the office and anything he may have planned for the night.  A royal blue, sleeveless blouse with a peephole cutout above your cleavage. It was fitted at the top, loose and flowy at the bottom, the fit and color both accentuating your assets, but still appropriate for work. Long silver earrings and a hammered silver cuff bracelet enhanced the look. 

Taking advantage of casual Friday, you paired your top with dark wash bootleg jeans that worked with your curves and slipped on pair of comfortable, black, high heels that could do double, and may even triple, duty over the weekend.  

A little product helped you coax curls in your hair.  Valentina approved immediately when she saw you and was your champion throughout the day, helping to keep your nerves calm.

Just after 3pm, you got a message from Chris telling you his meeting had gone great and that he was at the hotel. He sent you the room number and told you he couldn’t wait to see you.

You couldn’t want to see him either.  You desperately missed his presence, being in his arms, the taste of his mouth.  Being with him for the weekend was exactly what you craved and needed. 

He sent a few more messages and, after awhile, you realized he was acting strange. How many times did you need the room number, for fucks sake?  He was up to something, but you didn’t know what.

At the end of the day, you snuck into the bathroom and freshened up, applying some makeup, a little perfume, and making sure you looked your best.  That's where Val found you.

She came up behind you, both of you faces now reflected in the mirror.  She put her arms around you, holding you loosely by the waist and rested her head again your shoulder.  

“Just be you, Nikki.  You can do this. You two care about each other, you make sense together. Let things happen organically, but if you love him and you trust him, then he's worthy of your heart.”

You turned your face and planted a kiss on her cheek before she gave you a squeeze and released you.  Valentina ran a hand through your hair then gave you a swat on the ass, “For luck.”

You drove straight to the station after that and boarded the westbound Long Island Railroad train.  After finding an open seat, you tucked your bag onto the overhead rack, settled into a window seat and pulled out a pair of headphones from your purse.  The plan was to chill out and listen to some music while watching the world fly by for the next hour. Your brain had other ideas. It wanted to run scenarios about what might happen and practice the outcomes.   

You were going to tell Chris that you loved him, there was no way you could wait any longer.  But when to tell him and how to tell him were situations that kept changing in your mind. You would carefully rehearse the words, then fear would make your belly clench as you saw him in your mind, mouth gaping open and closed like a fish when you said it and he didn’t know how to answer.  Then your mind would see him pulling you into his arms and spinning you around, like some god damn Hollywood movie, shouting “me too!” The “what if’s” were driving you insane. You were literally banging your head against the window, even if it was just softly, 

The conductor’s voice came through the speaker announcing that the next stop was Penn Station.  Your view changed from the tall buildings and graffiti of Queens to total darkness as the train entered the tunnel under water that bridged the gap from Long Island to the island of Manhattan.  

Every time you took this ride, you had a split second memory of the first time you'd gone to the city.  You had been about six years old, sitting with your family, on the way to see the world famous Rockettes perform in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.  You'd gotten scared when the train had gone dark and had clutched at your father’s arm. The lights inside the train had come back on almost immediately, but inside the the tunnel there was no view, just black walls flying past outside the windows and it still had you nervous.  

Your father had explained that the train was traveling under water through a tunnel and, for some reason, you'd held your breath, as if your brain had thought the water was going to reach you.  You dad had pulled you close and held you tucked against his body, smoothing your hair as he promised you were perfectly safe. After that, it had been only a short period of time before the train had reached the platform in Penn Station, right beneath the famous Madison Square Garden, but to a child, it had taken a lifetime.  

To this day, you found yourself holding your breath, even if it was only for a few moments, when the train first plunged into the darkness.  

After getting off the train, you made your way through the hustle and bustle of the train station, taking your usual route to bring you out to Seventh Ave and the line of waiting taxi cabs.  The hotel Chris had booked was in the heart of the theater district and, while it wasn’t too far of a walk, it was way too far to walk in heels if not necessary. 

Your heart was pounding both from nerves of the evening ahead and from the crazy driver.  Suddenly, you remembered why it was that you walked everywhere when you came here. You texted Chris to let him know you’d be there in a few minutes.  You added a mental note that it was true as long as you didn’t die along the way. 

The taxi screeched to a halt in front of the luxury hotel that would be your home for the weekend, The Chatwal.  You paid the driver and stepped out, eager to see if the inside was as beautiful as it appeared on the website, especially since you were already impressed by the facade.  The entire place was lit with a soft glow. The ornate windows and other touches, such as the rich, red flag billowing in the breeze, created a sense of welcome. 

After taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly to steady your nerves, you walked towards the doorman who brought you to the concierge.  They showed you the way to the elevator after checking your name on their registry and you walked across the marble lobby towards the elevator that would take you up to Chris.  You didn’t know exactly when to tell him that you loved him, but you knew it would be tonight and that made your heart pound faster. 

This was it, one way or another, the next phase of your story was about to begin. 

You were still in the process of knocking on the door, when Chris opened it and pulled you inside.  He spun you around as he closed the door and pulled you into him, his back was against the door, his hands holding you tight to his body as he kissed you.  There was barely time to let go of your rolling suitcase and to drop your purse. Your hands were all over him as well and, once the fervor died down, he released you, but stepped in front of you again. 

The first room you passed was the bathroom and you had to walk inside to see the entire thing. 

“Holy shit, Chris!! Have you seen this? I think this is the fanciest bathroom I have ever been in!” 

“I had a feeling you were going to say that,” he said with a chuckle as he leaned against the doorframe, watching you. 

As you came out, he took your hands, lacing his fingers with your own. “Do you trust me, Nicole?”   

“Of course I do, why?” 

“Then close your eyes and follow me.”

You did as he asked and even enjoyed it when he swapped positions and got behind you, placing his hands over your eyes as he used his body to guide you forward, your hands spread out from your body for balance. 

It wasn’t far before he stopped.  “I’m going to take my hands off your eyes, but don’t open them until I say so, okay?”

You nodded, your stomach doing nervous flips as you tried to figure out his surprise. 

In a soft, deep voice he said, “Alright, Nicole. Open them.”

You were facing the king sized bed.  Across the white duvet were hundreds of red rose petals that were formed to spell out, “I love you!” 

The breath left your body and you began to tremble.  As a smile spread across your face and a few happy tears welled in your eyes, you turned around to find Chris standing behind you.  His eyes were also glistening, his smile beaming and hopeful. In his hand, he held a single, perfect red rose. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspo for this chapter was "Is this love," by Whitesnake  
> a big thank you to Beccaheartschrisevans for her support and beta work on this chapter


	37. Show and Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nicole discuss their feelings and share a romantic meal on their first night in NYC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspiration for this chapter, "Waiting For A Girl Like You," by Foreigner.

As difficult as it was to tear your eyes off of the man before you, it was impossible to not look back at the bed and the message written in petals upon it.  I LOVE YOU.

This moment was like a page pulled out of your dream book from when you were a little girl.  You’d grown up on animated Disney movies, those old school ones where the prince would come and perform some grand gesture to declare his love.  You secretly wished that would happen to you one day. In a way, your wish had just come true. Sure, It was a fancy hotel, not a castle and Chris was holding a rose, not a sword.  But he had painstakingly placed rose petals on a bed declaring his love for you and it must have taken him hours of effort. He’d done that for  _ you _ .  For the first time in your life you actually did feel like a princess.

As your brain absorbed it all, your heart was overrun with emotions.  You wiped a tear away before it had a chance to run down your face, and you tried your best to make a coherent statement. Unfortunately, your brain was on overdrive and you couldn’t seem to speak more than single syllable words. 

Chris’s eyes were full of hope and love, but also a tinge of worry.  You smiled at him, then bit your lip and looked down, slightly shaking your head as you tried again to express your thoughts.  “Oh Chris, I, um…. It’s just that it’s-”

“Over the top, I know,” he interrupted quickly.  You heard a edge in his voice that made your eyes dart up to focus on his face and watched as he struggled to explain himself.  Chris began babbling, speaking so quickly that you couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

“I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you how I feel, and, um, the other day this idea hit me and I thought, ‘Chris, that’s it!  This is perfect! It’s old fashioned and romantic as fuck and she’ll love it!’ But now I’m standing here holding a rose and I realize I probably look like goddamn Bachelor and it may have been a mistake to do it like this.”

He finally took a breath and you jumped right in, trying to stop the self doubt train.  “Noooo! It’s not like that at all, Chris.” You took a breath to steady yourself, it had been a long time since you told a man you loved him.  “It’s just that I, um, I-”

His face dropped and he looked down towards the rose in his hand.  “You… don’t feel the same way. It’s okay, you don’t have to say it back.  I just wanted you to know that I’m there, and-”

You couldn’t take it another second.  Your hands had been in front of you, one nervously playing with the fingers of the other, but now you raised them both and cradled his face in between them.  

“Hey!  Shhh! Look at me.  Look at me, Chris!”  You brought your now tear streaked face into his line of sight, then used your hands to draw his head up.  “Look at this face. Does this look the face of a woman who doesn’t love you, too? The whole way here, all I could think about was how and when I was going to tell you the exact same thing. That I love you.  That I’m there, too.” 

Chris’s face softened, relief taking away the lines in his forehead.  His expressive eyes looked straight into yours, gaze completely unwavering, as he said, “You have no idea how much I love you, Nicole.”

“It can’t be half as much as I love you,” you challenged, adding a playful wink.   

Your hands were still holding his face and you used them to guide his lips towards you.  The power and passion of that kiss left no doubt as to how strongly your feelings were for each other.   

When the kiss slowed, Chris loosened the hold his arms had you in and smiled down at you.  “C’mon, let’s go sit down. I made us dinner reservations and we still have a little time to kill.”

He handed you the rose he was still holding and took your hand, leading you to a cream colored suede sofa near the large floor to ceiling windows.  The curtains were open and the twinkling lights of New York City made for a stunning view. You immediately pressed the soft petals of the flower to your nose, inhaling the rich scent as you walked behind him.  Chris motioned for you to sit down first and you took the corner, resting your back against the arm rest. He lifted your legs and scooted as close to you as possible, placing your legs over his own and resting his hands on your thighs.  You kicked off your heels, briefly stretching your toes and ankles.

There was no way to stop smiling, there really wasn’t.  You didn’t know exactly what you expected tonight to be like, but it certainly wasn’t this.  You had thought of so many scenarios for the moment when you’d finally declare your love for him, or he for you, but they all paled in comparison to the real thing.  You kept reliving the moment over and over, cementing the details into your memory forever, trying to capture every piece. As you did, you twirled the stem of the rose between your fingers, not realizing you were even doing it until a hand brushed yours. 

“What’s on your mind, love?” he asked, his voice dipping down low.  Love. That word, from this man, would never get old. 

You booped him on the nose with the flower and teased, “I was thinking that you really did kinda look like the Bachelor, standing there with this rose and all.” 

Chris’s head dropped back as he laughed at himself, covering his face with his hands, effectively shielding it from you as he apologized.  You noticed the tinge of red creeping up his neck. How he managed to look like a sexy lumberjack and adorable little boy at the same time was one of life’s greatest mysteries.  

“What are you apologizing for, Chris?  Being the most romantic man I’ve ever met?”  You ran your fingertips under his chin to get him to look at you, enjoying the feel of the thick beard that had grown in.  “I truly didn’t believe there were still men like you out there. I’m the luckiest girl in the world, you know that?”

As his face burned bright red from the compliment, you looked over towards the bed and marveled, “God, that must have taken you hours to set up!  Did you do it all yourself?”

“Yep,” he said, popping the “p” as he nodded his head.  “It took me a little over two hours and four dozen roses.”

“Four dozen?!!” you repeated in amazement, sitting up straighter in complete shock.  You relaxed back, shaking your head slowly, impressed. “I gotta tell you, Evans, I’m rarely surprised by anyone, but you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“Yes I am, and I’m just getting started.”  He arched an eyebrow and leveled his gaze your way, “I may have a few more planned for this weekend.”

Interest piqued, you asked eagerly, “Ooh, like what?” 

Chris ran his finger in a circle around your jean clad knee and said coyly, “If I told you then it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it, silly.”

“But I want to know now!” doing your best impression of Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka. 

He tickled the underside of your knee, causing your to giggle and pull it away.  He pulled it back and held it firm before very matter of factly stating, “No.”

“Please?!” you pleaded.

“Nope,”  He patted your leg to emphasize each word as he added, “You just need to be patient.“

With an exaggerated groan, you dropped your head back and reminded him, “You do recall me telling you that I was threatened with never getting another Christmas present if I didn’t stop snooping around for them, right?  Patience is not my strong suit when it comes to this stuff.”

He laughed, recalling the phone call from back in June where you’d discussed family holidays. “I do remember, but what I can’t remember is if you ever told me whether the threat worked.”

With a wave of your hand you dismissed the concept of you actually listening to the threat.  “Fuck no! I just went into ninja mode and got stealthier about it.”

You shared another round of laughter, then you looked at him and took his hand, planting a kiss on the back of it.  “Don’t ever stop surprising me, it’s one of the things I love about you.”

Chris tilted his head up quickly, a cocky grin on his face which made you melt with it’s adorableness.  He leaned forward for a quick kiss and whispered, “I won’t. Promise.”

Curiosity got the best of you.  “Can I ask how long you’ve been planning this for?” 

He dropped his head and looked at the ceiling, as if the answers were written there.  “Let’s see, the rose petals I came up with a few days ago. I ran it past my mom and when she teared up I knew I had a winner.  The actual feelings, well,” he began, his hand moving behind his neck to rub at it, “I started realizing it was a possibility when I landed in LaGuardia and saw you at the baggage claim area.”

“Really?” you asked, surprised once more.  That was a hell of a lot sooner than you expected to hear. 

“Well… yeah. I mean, I didn’t know what to expect when I saw you again, but then there you were, standing there in that white dress and looking even more beautiful than I remembered. Every fiber of my being reacted.  I felt that back in Boston, too, on your birthday. It’s like our energies meet on a certain…” he said, trailing off as he snapped his fingers, trying to find the word. 

“Frequency?” you asked.

He snapped his fingers and pointed at you while nodding.  “Frequency! That’s it, a frequency. Yes, exactly! A certain frequency.”  He looked down, a sheepish look coming over that handsome face as he added, “Then I went into anxiety mode because I knew I had to tell you about the background check that morning and I was terrified I’d lose you.”

Your hand moved to his hair and you carded your fingers through the locks, which were getting quite long.  It was a new look and you quite liked it. Seeing each other over Skype was one thing, but he always looked so different in person because of the time in between each meeting.

“I told you, Chris, it was definitely a bit of a shock, but how could I hold that against you when I’d been a fan who had access to so much of your life online before we met.  What’s fair is fair.”

“What about you?” he asked, putting you in the hot seat now. “When did you know you loved me?” 

“When did I know? Hmmm, I’d like to say when we first met, but I know now that more a case of infatuation and fangirling.  I didn’t really get to know you until we started to chat after that. I did, however, know for sure I was in trouble when you stayed at my place in June. I never told you this, but after I dropped you off at the rental car place I had to pull over because I had a total fuckin’ meltdown.”

“You did?  Aww, baby, I’m so sorry.”

You shrugged.  “Sorry for what?  For having a life you needed to get back to?  It’s still not easy when we have to say goodbye, but that day it just broke me.  I was falling hard and fighting it, all at the same time.”

He sat up straighter, his face becoming more serious as he questioned, “Why would you want to fight it?  Did you think I wasn’t serious about you?”

You tried to set him at ease, reading the concern in his eyes.  “Nooo, actually, quite the opposite. I was fighting it because I was afraid it would get serious and that would make me vulnerable.  I’ve had my guards up for so long that it’s a force of habit to keep them up.”

You fiddled with the stem of the rose for a few moments then admitted, “When I went to Boston last week, I was on a mission to figure it all out, once and for all.  I’ve known people who have acted completely different around me than they did around their family and friends. I was so worried you were going to be one of those.”

“But I wasn’t, was I?”

“Not at all. Your family sealed the deal.   Dodger was the cherry on top. By the time I left Sudbury, I was completely in love with you.”  

Throughout your confession, you had been casting glances at him, but remained focused more so on the petals.  When it was finally out in the open, you met his eyes full on and found them a little misty. There was no conversation for a the better part of a minute, just things being said silently through eye contact and soft touches.  You loved how there was that ability to communicate with each other, the comfort and depth you’d been able to create allowed for a language all of your own.

You realized then that he hadn’t actually answered your question and pushed for more. “You said you started to realize your feelings when you saw me in the airport, but when did you actually  _ know _ ?”

He took your hand in his, toying with your fingers as he explained, “It was right before you came to Boston last week.  I found myself talking to Dodger about you and told him that I knew he was going to love you as much as I did.”

“Awwww!” you exclaimed, leaning forward towards Chris as you melted at the image of it in your mind. “I miss him!  Is it weird that I miss him being with us, even though I was only around him for a couple of days?”

Chris’s face lit up and he beamed a giant smile your way.  The proud papa.

“I could go get him and be back by the morning,” he joked, pretending to get up. You swatted his arm to make him go back down.  “I’ll admit, it was nice being snuggled between you guys.”

You smiled back at him and replied, “I’m just happy he was willing to share. I bet Dodger probably felt the same way.  I swear to god he winked at me that first night when we each took a side of you,” you admitted, laughing your ass off at the memory.

Suddenly, the puzzle pieces started to come together in your head and you pointed the rose at him, like an accusing finger, while you blurted out, “You were waiting for your family to meet me, weren’t you? Make sure mom approved?”

The wide eyed look and inability to form a sentence was all the confirmation you needed. “So let me ask you this, if your mom didn’t like me would we still be here right now?”

Chris grimaced, but quickly covered it up by explaining, “I…..I’d say probably.”  I mean, she hasn’t always like my girlfriends. It’s definitely not a deal breaker, but fuck does it make things easier.”

“Fair enough.  I take it she approved?”

“You could say that.”  He stopped and chuckled, before looking at you with a shy expression.  “She maaay have dropped a few comments about when I was going to marry you.”

You bolted upright, completely taken off guard.  “She what?!”

“She really liked you,” he said sincerely, the warmth in his eyes expressing how much that meant to him.  As if you didn’t already know.

Time to own up to your mother’s fantasies.  As nonchalantly as possible you admitted, “It’s no secret my mom is crazy about you, and she may have your mom beat. She may have mentioned once, or twice, or a dozen times what beautiful grandbabies we’re going to give her.”

“Bab-eez?” he asked, emphasizing the ending. His eyebrows were rising so high they could almost touch his hairline.

“Yep, plural. It’s always plural.”

A delighted smile took over his face and you could tell he was truly tickled by the conversation.   “Oh. My. God. These women have it all planned out for us, don’t they?” he mused. With a an evil gleam he added, “Can you imagine if we tell them we eloped this weekend?”

You barked out a laugh, covering your mouth quickly to mute the sound.  “You want them to have coronaries?” you asked, shaking your head as you continued to laugh.  “They’d kill us, those women would kill us if we ever did something like that. Besides,” you paused, joking “I know I’m a real prize, but let’s take things one step at a time there, Speedy.”  You leaned in towards him and softened your voice as you said, “And this step here tonight, was definitely a move in the right direction.”

“Absolutely, and you are a prize.  I’ve been waiting for someone like you for a long time, Nicole.”  He leaned in towards you as well and confessed, “ You were so worth the wait.”

Chris put his hand into your hair, supporting your head while his lips met yours for a long, deep  kiss. His hands roamed over your back and legs. The passion was building and he swiftly changed positions, extracting himself from under your legs to lay alongside you.  Within seconds he maneuvered his way on top of your body, your thighs spreading automatically to get him as close to you as as possible. 

The makeout session was making you want to skip dinner and stay here instead. You loved the way it felt to have his weight on you, his lips going down your neck and back up to your lips.  Your hips were gyrating, trying to create the friction you so needed to make full use of of the erection ready to burst out of his jeans. Fully clad foreplay could be hotter than being naked, if you were with the right lover. 

Before things could progress to much farther, Chris’s phone, which was sitting on the nightstand, began to chime loudly.  He dropped his head into the curve of your neck and muttered, “Fahkin’ alarm!” 

“Can we ignore it?”

“Not if we want dinner.  It’s getting close to the reservation time.”

You gave him one last smooch, then whispered, “To be continued.”

He helped pull you up from the sofa and let you walk ahead this time.  You soon found out it was because it gave him prime access to give you a smack, and subsequent squeeze, on the ass.

“Hey!” you chastised, before making a sprint for the bathroom, with Chris hot on your heels.  Thankfully, his close proximity meant he was able to catch you when you cut the corner too fast and lost your footing, ever the klutz.  

You made a quip about being thankful some of the super soldier reflexes crept into real life and then stepped around him to grab your bag that was still sitting by the front door, just outside the bathroom. After pulling out your makeup and toiletries bag from your rolling luggage, you came back into the bathroom to touch up your hair and makeup. 

The entire bathroom was made of glossy black marble, with silver accents, and it gleamed as the recessed lighting shined upon it.  The ceilings was a creamy white, softening the look. Chris was standing at the farthest sink, beside the glass door shower, and you took the spot at the first sink.  You placed your toiletries bag on the counter and a few odds and ends on the open shelving below it, in a nook beside a stack of fluffy white towels. A full sized mirror that ran the length of both sinks afforded a view of the white toilet and hooks with matching plush, oversized robes hanging on the opposite wall for your use later on.  

You took a moment to admire Chris’s reflection in the mirror, as he worked to get his hair back in place after your fingers had made a mess of it on the sofa.  When he was clean shaven, he was old Hollywood style handsome. With his regular beard, his look ranged from frat boy to sexy lumberjack, but the current length of his hair and beard took this look to a dangerously new level of sexy.   

“Enjoying the view, Nikki?” he asked, peeking at you from the side.

A contented smirk was all the answer he got from you as you placed the cap back on your stay-put lipstick and fixed some smudges under your eyes, touching them up with concealer.  

Finished with his grooming, Chris stepped behind you started to play with your hair, scrunching it to turn the waves into curls. 

His hands moved to your waist and he held you tight against him as he gave you a kiss on the side of the neck, nuzzling his nose behind your ear, then made contact with your eyes in the mirror.  In a voice just above a whisper he said, “You look stunningly beautiful, you know that?” 

“Thank you,” you said, a warm, shy smile crossing your lips, “You look incredibly handsome.”

“Guess we’re the perfect match.”

“Guess so,” you answered, then picked your phone up off the counter and seized the moment, taking a selfie together to mark the evening.   When you tried to snap a second one, he tickled your neck by giving it little bites and the shot was even better than the posed one, both of you smiling, eyes closed, absolute happiness pouring out of your expressions. 

After gathering your purse and putting your heels back on, you made your way to the lobby together.  The entire hotel was decorated in a 1920’s art deco style and it was like stepping into a time machine as you walked towards the door.  He turned right upon exiting the hotel and you followed him, finding yourself taken off guard when he took your hand to walk down the street.  You were a little nervous at first, then you realized there was no reason to be, not here anyway. The thing about New York is that when you’re walking around people mind their business and stay out of yours.  The majority couldn’t give a shit if you were a celebrity, people weren’t scanning every face in a crowd for a sighting. Besides, with his thick beard and long hair, no one was going to recognize him. It was a perfect disguise, like Clark Kent hiding in plain sight.  It was difficult to spot “Captain America” in that face. 

The walk to the restaurant, a quaint Italian place, didn’t take very long and you were taken to your table in the corner within a few minutes of arrival.  

The ambiance of the place was wonderful, cozy and romantic.  The walls were made of old brick with small squares cut out, each filled with the soft glow of candles.   The rest of the lighting throughout the restaurant was made from wine glasses that had been transformed into unique fixtures, lending everything a soft glow.  Wooden crates full of wine bottles were mounted along the tops of the walls. The polished dark wood tables were uncovered, just white linen cloth napkins at each place setting.  The centerpiece was simple: a bottle of olive of oil and a small clear glass votive with a flameless candle.

Music was coming across hidden speakers, instrumental versions of old standards by crooners like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin.  You looked across the table at Chris and there was honestly no other person you’d rather be with at this moment. It was perfect. 

The waiter came to the table to introduce himself and deliver the wine list and menus.  He had a wonderful personality and had you both smiling and engaged as he read off the list of tonight’s specials before leaving you to peruse the options.

“So, what looks good?” you asked aloud.

“Other than you?”

“I walked right into that one,” you sighed, face palming yourself.

"Yes, you did,” he teased, a devilish smile twisting the corner of his mouth upwards.  “As for the food, a lot of things sound delicious. I don’t know what I’m getting for an entree, but I plan on having you for dessert.”

You were caught off guard by the comment and had to stifle yourself from barking out a laugh. There was no way to hold back the redness that was taking over your face, or the wide smile that accompanied it.  

“I wish you had told me before we left the hotel,” you began, as a woman holding a pitcher of ice water approached the table to fill your glasses, “You know what they say.  Life’s short, eat dessert first.” After a knowing wink at Chris, you focused on the menu. You were known as a bit of a chicken parmesan junkie, but the butterflies in your belly were taking up a lot of real estate so you decided to go for lighter fare.

In the end, you and Chris settled on an order of Baked Clams for an appetizer, followed by Ceasar Salads  You followed it up with Lobster Ravioli as your entree, pairing it with a glass of Chardonnay. Chris ordered Eggplant Rollatini and a bottle of Stella Artois beer.  

A server came by, after a few minutes, with a tray that contained your drinks and a basket of warm, fresh baked italian bread and a small dish full of herbs.  He placed the dish on the table and used the bottle of extra virgin olive oil on the table to cover the herbs in the rich, golden colored liquid. 

The round loaf, cut into thick slices, was a perfect combination of crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and positively heavenly when dipped into the fragrant oil.  You could taste rosemary, basil, oregano, garlic and a little salt and cracked black pepper. Small specks of red pepper brought in a touch of heat. 

In between bites, you asked, “Have you been here before?”

“No, actually, first time.  A friend recommended it, Paul was able to grab the table for us.”

Chris’s personal assistant seemed to have a knack for finding restaurants that made your tastebuds happy.  “I’m looking forward to meeting him tomorrow and getting to thank him in person for all he’s helped coordinate for us.”

You both dipped at the same time, playfully battling for a spot in the dish.  

“How do you feel about meeting my publicist tomorrow?”

“I have my reservations,” you admitted. 

“There’s nothing to worry about.  I’ve already given you a general idea of what Jo is going to be asking.  You’re going to be just fine, Nicole, as long as no giant skeletons are about to come jumping out of the closet.”

“Nah, I should be okay in that department.  The only skeleton I have is that one orgy with the soccer team in college.”

“Soccer?  I thought it was the football team.”

“No way, soccer players have them killer thighs.  Football players can’t compare.”

“Huh, yeah, I can see that.  Hopefully it stayed off of your files.”

“What happens in the locker room, stays in the locker room.  I should be fine.”

For once in your life, you had managed to maintain a poker face.  At least long enough to watch Chris’s expressions go from casually in the joke to wondering if it was a joke, to then looking at you to make sure it was a joke.  When your shoulders finally shook with laughter and your face fell into your hands, he knew there was truly nothing to worry about. 

“You had me going, almost got me,” he said, pointing his index finger at you as he gave you a boyish grin.

“What can I say, I’ve been hanging around with this actor dude.  Guess I’ve picked up a few tips.”

The baked clams came then, six large half shells, and Chris placed one onto a dish for you, along with a lemon wedge for it, before serving himself one.  These were also divine, the perfect seasoning and ratio of clams to breading. 

As you both moved onto your second helpings, he asked, “So, seriously, what are your concerns when it comes to my PR? I can tell from the way your face reacted to her name that something’s on your mind.”

The last thing you wanted to do was offend or worry him.  This was the woman he had chosen to represent his best interests and she had done a great job for him, overall.   His name was not something people saw in the news for the wrong reasons. That didn’t mean he was a boy scout, it meant she knew how to do her job - and she did it well.

“Well,” you began, “at first it was the normal nervous thoughts about whether or not she would like me, or approve of me for you.  I got those out of my head pretty quick, though. As long as you like me, it doesn’t matter what she thinks, right?”

“You are correct.”  Chris reached out his hand and stroked the back of yours briefly with his thumb as he lowered his voice and caught your eyes.  “And I don’t just like you, I love you.”

Hopefully the lighting was hiding the flush that ran through your body just then.  You let out a deep breath and continued, “My real concern is how much she’s going to push me for information or details about my life.  I don’t want to come off as bitchy, or defensive, but I’m also not about to roll over and show my belly to her just because she’s your PR.  My past is exactly that,  _ mine _ .  She may not go into things at all with me, but if she does I have my limits about what I’m explaining.”

There was a pause in the conversation as the now empty clam shells were taken away and bowls of caesar salad took their place.  Long ribbons of parmesan cheese were covering the top and you chopped through it before mixing it into the lettuce and dressing below.  They didn’t skimp on the cheese, you admired that fact.

Chris picked the dialogue right back up where it ended, his expression a bit serious and a look of curiosity in his eyes.  “Is there something specific that you’re nervous about her asking about? Or finding out about?”

“Not really.  I was certainly no angel in my twenties,” you said, raising a brow and pointing towards him with your fork, “and neither were you.”  Chris simply chuckled and nodded in agreement.

“The thing is, Chris, I may not agree with every choice my younger self made, I’m sure most adults feel that way, but I don’t have any regrets about them because each of those choices brought me an experience, and each of those experiences made me the person I am today.  I don’t feel like I need to justify them, or explain them.”

“You don’t.  You’re absolutely right.  Believe me, she knows you weren’t raised in a monastery, she just wants to make sure everyone is on the same page. That’s all.”

“Fair enough. And trust me, I have no big secrets that would be career derailing for you, or for me.  Nothing that’s suddenly going to come out in a tabloid and embarrass you.”

“That you remember,” he teased, but you immediately cut him off.  

“Nope, I remember it all.  Not once in my life have I gotten blackout drunk, or woken up in bed with a stranger.  I always kept my wits about me. Maybe it’s a side effect of having a police officer for a father.”

You had about two bites of your salad left when the waiter arrived with your entrees.  Quickly, you finished it up and received your dish of five large ravioli in pink creamy sauce.  A fresh round of drinks were brought almost immediately, and you toasted each other before digging in.  Chris let you have a bite of his eggplant, you shared a bite of your pasta. They were both winners.

Over the meal, you both shared some stories about your childhoods and your family’s favorite Italian places growing up. The meal was intimate and several times you forgot that anyone else was in the room.  You also began to work out the timing and plans for some fun tomorrow after the meeting was over. The thought of being able to spend this entire weekend with Chris, doing normal couple, touristy stuff was making you giddy.  Alright fine, maybe the wine was adding to the feeling just a bit, but it was mostly the freedom you felt you had in New York City with him.

As he was finishing up his dinner he asked, “Any other questions about the meeting tomorrow morning?”

You shook your head and then shrugged your shoulders.  “I just pray that I vibe with the woman. Things will be so difficult if we don’t get along or click, y’know?”

“I think you will, I wouldn’t worry about that.”

“I trust your judgement there and I hope so, too.  It’s a lot of faith that I’ll be putting into what’s essentially a stranger. It’s only a matter of time before the wrong person finds out about us and people start to talk.  She doesn’t work for me, and yet I have to trust her to keep my privacy, keep me safe, keep my reputation safe. Keep my family safe from crazy people.”

Taking your hand in his, he held it gently and said, “I get it, I do.  She’s the best and she’ll have your back. Don’t worry.”

You raised a questioning brow at him and asked, “Don’t worry?  Baby, we both know I could teach a masterclass in the art of overthinking.”

“So could I, that’s why we understand each other so well.”

“Would either of you care to see a dessert menu?” the waiter asked as he suddenly popped up beside you.  You giggled a little at the jump it caused.

After a quick, silent conversation between your eyes and Chris’s, he declined the option and asked for the check.  The second the man was out of earshot, he whispered, “I’m taking my dessert to go, thank you very much.” 

The look in his eyes was enough to set a fire in your panties.  You couldn’t wait to see his reaction to the new lingerie you purchased for the evening. 

After paying the check, he led the way back out on the city street, but turned right instead of going back the way you’d originally come.  There was still a lot of people and you had to walk single file at certain parts to get through crowds. The evening had cooled a bit and it was comfortable weather for walking.  As you crossed Seventh Ave and continued walking, you asked where he was taking you because you knew the hotel was in the opposite direction, on 44th Street and closer to Sixth Avenue.  

“Just going the long way.  There’s something I want to show on the way back.”

When you reached Eighth Avenue and 44th Street he finally started to lead you back in the right direction.  About halfway to the hotel, he slowed, then stopped and put his arms around you in front of a darkened theater.

“You know that meeting I had today?”

You nodded, “The one you’ve been so secretive about, other than telling me it went great?”  

You hadn’t pressed him on it, assuming it had something to do with Marvel when he had kept tight lipped about the reason for it. 

“It was about performing on Broadway…. and it’s official!”  He motioned with his head to the building beside you and explained, “I’ll be performing inside of this theater for the first half of next year.”  His brows were raised, a smile trying to break across his face that his nerves wouldn’t let come all the way through. 

“You’re gonna what?!?!” you exclaimed, no trouble at all with breaking out into a wide smile at  finding yourself, once again, on the receiving end of a surprise by this man. 

Seeing you so thrilled was apparently the confirmation he needed to let his own excitement bust through.  “I’m gonna be on Broadway, baby! The play is for a short run. Rehearsals start in January, show opens in March and runs through mid May.  I’ll be apartment hunting sometime in the Fall.”

“So you’re telling me you’ll be living in New York for five months.  Here? Just over an hour away from me for FIVE MONTHS!”

You swooped in, wrapping your arms around him and jumping up and down right there on the sidewalk, letting out little squeals of delight.  Chris returned the bear hug, lowering his face into the cradle of your neck once you were standing still and just holding you, swaying softly as you calmed down.  People were passing by, but neither of you paid them any mind, the bubble you were in was just too good to burst.

  
  



End file.
